Cricket: Orchard steadies the ship

Mark Orchard must have decided enough was enough after watching his Northern Districts colleagues fall over themselves yesterday.

Orchard was almost all that stood between his team and an abysmal position after the opening day of their State Championship match against Otago at University Oval in Dunedin.

After ND won the toss and decided to bat, they capitulated to 74-6 before Orchard and later Peter McGlashan (34) and Graeme Aldridge (44) dug in to take them to 222-8 at stumps.

Orchard stroked a defiant 82 not out, including 10 fours and one six.

Seamer Bradley Scott had done much of the damage with figures of 3-42 from 19 overs.


* Workmanlike Canterbury fought hard for success on the opening day of the State Championship match against Central Districts in Christchurch yesterday.

Canterbury adopted a conservative approach from the time captain Chris Harris won the toss and opted to bat at the Village Green.

Half-centuries from Michael Papps, Shanan Stewart and Harris led them to 286-6 by stumps as they managed to keep the Central Districts bowling attack at bay.

-HERALD ON SUNDAY