Cricket: Northern lose in tight finish

Hopes the domestic one-day campaign might revitalise Northern Districts' dismal season are on hold after they were beaten by Wellington in Hamilton last night.

Some clean hitting and deft placement from Wellington's Mayu Pasupati in the final overs saw his side ease to a three-wicket victory over the defending champions with five balls to spare.

Pasupati hit 33 off 22 balls, including a huge six over mid-off, to carry his side through at a time the game was slipping away after they had lost three quick wickets for nine runs.

Wellington clinched the points when they ended on 230 for seven in reply to Northern's 228 for nine.

Wellington's trip to Hamilton has been a happy one as they also took outright points in the State Championship four-day match which ended on Tuesday.

Last in the State Championship standings and hoping the one-day competition would give them a change in fortunes, Northern chose to bat first and looked like a different team for a while as James Marshall stroked an effortless 44 in an opening stand of 81 in 76 minutes with Nick Horsley.

Normal service resumed when both he and Horsley were dismissed immediately after drinks and Matthew Hart was superbly caught and bowled by James Franklin with the score at 103.

Grant Robinson played a great hand to score 77 not out off 86 balls.

He was strong off his legs and drove beautifully, picking up seven fours and a six as he recorded his highest one-day score.

At 183 for four off 41 overs, Northern Districts should have scored more, but Robinson found himself deprived of the strike by the tailenders and Wellington's fiery, mohawked fast bowler Mark Gillespie produced a great display of bowling at the death to end with figures of three for 39.

Chris Nevin got Wellington off to a great start, striking the ball cleanly in a run-a-ball 50.

His innings included seven fours and he was particularly brutal with pulls and cuts when Joseph Yovich bowled too short.

The introduction of left-arm spinner Bruce Martin restricted Wellington's scoring and at one stage he bowled seven overs for 10 runs.

A solid 48 from Richard Jones and Neal Parlane's classy 54 off 72 balls, including two sixes, carried Wellington to within sight of victory.

Martin dismissed Matthew Walker and Luke Woodcock in successive balls, but Pasupati put the match beyond doubt.

* A fit-again Glen Sulzberger will lead Central Districts in their opening game against Auckland in New Plymouth today.

Illness forced Sulzberger to miss the final three days of the State Championship four-day match against Otago this week.

But after passing a fitness test during an indoor training session yesterday, the former New Zealand representative declared himself available for the match against Auckland.

Helping ease Sulzberger's discomfort was his team's dominant outright victory over Otago on Tuesday, and a win to start their one-day season might be a cure-all.

Central have made three changes, with limited-overs specialists Andrew Schwass, Campbell Furlong and Jarrod Englefield coming into the side.

Auckland's batting order boasts several current or former internationals.

Otago meet Canterbury in Alexandra. Both matches begin at noon.

Central Districts: Glen Sulzberger (capt), Jarrod Englefield, Campbell Furlong, Bevan Griggs, Lance Hamilton, Brent Hefford, Jamie How, Michael Mason, Andrew Schwass, Mathew Sinclair, Craig Spearman, Ross Taylor. 12th man to be named.

Auckland: Brooke Walker (capt), Andre Adams, Aaron Barnes, Tama Canning, Paul Hitchcock, Llorne Howell, Matt Horne, Rob Nicol, Craig Pryor, Lou Vincent, Kerry Walmsley. Reece Young. 12th man to be named.

- NZPA