Cricket: Northern in trouble

CHRISTCHURCH - Northern Districts trailed Canterbury by 109 runs on the first innings in their Shell Trophy match in Christchurch yesterday.

In reply to Canterbury's 300, Northern were dismissed for 191. Poor light kept Canterbury from beginning their second innings.

Northern's Bruce Martin finished with a five-wicket haul in the morning, when he removed the last two Canterbury batsmen. But stern resistance from Aaron Redmond, who took his overnight 16 to an unbeaten 45, got the home side through to a respectable total.

That target appeared to be within Northern's reach when, after the early dismissal of James Marshall, Michael Parlane and Mark Bailey effortlessly put on 80 runs. It was then that Chris Martin, in his second spell, turned the game dramatically. He dismissed Bailey with his first ball and went on to capture four wickets for 13 runs from an eight-over stint.

But it was no one-man show.

Chris Harris had already looked the most likely threat to Northern during a long spell at the other end. In the midst of Martin's purple patch he struck by having top- scorer Michael Parlane (57)caught behind.

- NZPA