Cricket: Rain adds to dismal day for Northern at the Mount

James Franklin of Wellington bats. Photo / Getty Images

The hits keep coming for Northern Districts in domestic cricket's Twenty20 competition, with rain again dousing any chance of a big holiday crowd at Mt Maunganui and the Knights slumping to another loss.

Northern lost the critical fifth round HRV Cup clash against the bottom-placed Wellington Firebirds at the Bay Oval by eight wickets in a game that was late starting because of persistent drizzle at the holiday resort, with both teams forced from the ground on several occasions.

Having already been off twice, the Knights reached 82-4 in 11.3 overs when the rain got heavier, with the Firebirds set a revised target under Duckworth Lewis of 90 runs off 11 overs to win.

Despite losing opener Michael Papps for six in the third over and Zimbabwean Brendon Taylor in the fifth over for three, Wellington did it easily, with Michael Pollard and James Franklin combining for a match-winning third-wicket partnership of 58 off 36 balls.

Pollard was the mainstay, with a 31-ball 43 while Franklin's 27 included two sixes - the second winning the game as he put Knights skipper Scott Styris over the square leg boundary.

Seamers Graham Aldridge and Tim Southee were loose early, each conceding wides that went to the boundary, although Aldridge picked up Papps' wicket off his first ball when Kane Williamson took a sharp diving catch low to his right at short mid-on.

Taylor was run out by Styris after taking on Anton Devcich's arm in the deep at 53-2 from seven overs.

Wellington's hunt for the points was in the balance until Aldridge conceded 12 runs in the eighth over and Pollard dispatched the opening two balls of the ninth to the fence.

Earlier, the Knights were again stymied by a lack of momentum with the bat and the persistent rain delays, with Daniel Vettori's 21-ball 26 at the top of the innings and Styris' unbeaten 20 their best as the wickets were shared between Muttiah Muralitharan, Mark Gillespie, Andy McKay and Luke Woodcock.