Cricket: Otago need 108 to beat Canterbury

The Otago cricket team eked out a hard-earned advantage over Canterbury in Alexandra yesterday.

Otago ended the third day of their Shell Trophy clash at 39 for one, needing another 108 for outright victory today, after dismissing Canterbury for 224 in their second innings.

Canterbury claimed the invaluable wicket of international opener Mark Richardson, caught behind off Warren Wisneski after scoring 15 off 13 balls, but Matt Horne and Craig Cumming saw Otago safely to stumps.

Offspinner Nathan McCullum had spent the first two days as 12th man, but came into the XI after Paul Wiseman was called into the New Zealand squad for the one-day international against Zimbabwe in Wellington.

McCullum sent the Canterbury middle-order into a tizz with wickets off consecutive balls in his second over.

Canterbury, 41 for one overnight, added 66 for two wickets in the morning session and Jarrod Englefield and captain Gary Stead were batting their side into a useful position when McCullum and Craig Cumming struck.

Stead, who had toiled 123 minutes and 92 balls for his 28, slammed Cumming's first ball directly to Richardson in the gully to end a fourth-wicket stand of 61 in 123 minutes.

McCullum then had his purple patch from the other end. Michael Papps pushed forward to his sixth ball and was caught behind to complete a pair for the match, and Aaron Redmond drove at the next ball and was taken by Andrew Hore at slip.

Canterbury had suddenly plummeted from 134 for three to 135 for six and, by the time they finished, McCullum and Cumming between them had taken four wickets for 21 from 16 overs. McCullum's share was two for 10 off 10 overs.

"Nathan could become a very good cricketer if he works really hard at his game and does the hard yakka," Otago coach Denis Aberhart said.

"He certainly has the skill to do it, but he has to do the hard yards."

- NZPA