Cricket: Openers pile on runs

Rob Lawson and Mohammad Wasim shared an unbeaten opening stand of 153 for Otago against Northern Districts at Carisbrook yesterday.

Northern sent Otago into bat when they won the toss on a rain-shortened first day, but it was Otago who prospered.

Lawson (75) and Wasim (68) batted for 172 minutes and 58 overs and, when stumps were drawn at 7pm, Otago were well on the way to a commanding total.

It was the first century opening partnership for Otago since Mark Richardson and Matt Horne put on 193 against Wellington at the Basin Reserve in February last year.

They are just 21 runs short of the Otago record against Northern Districts, set by Ken Rutherford and Stuart McCullum in Alexandra in 1985-86.

Otago began batting at 2.30pm and Lawson and Wasim were seldom in trouble against the seam attack of Joseph Yovich, Simon Andrews and Graeme Aldridge.

There was a break for bad light from 5.30pm to 6pm.

- NZPA