Cricket: Rampaging CD hit way to final

Central Districts bounded into the State Championship cricket final on the back of a brilliant victory over Canterbury yesterday.

They won the four-day fixture outright by three wickets after running down an imposing target of 448 at New Plymouth's Pukekura Park.

Returning to his home town, Peter Ingram led the way with a magnificent 166, his ninth first-class century and his first at the ground for Central Districts, before Tim Weston hit an unbeaten 89 to complete the hatchet job.

It marked just the fifth occasion a team have scored in excess of 400 in the fourth innings to win a first-class match in New Zealand since 1863-64.

Victory lifted Central Districts' points haul through seven rounds to 31, guaranteeing their presence in the final against Auckland starting on April 5.

Auckland head the table on 35 points, and a quirk of the draw means the final combatants will meet each other in the closing round of regular matches in Auckland on Sunday.

Ingram, a 30-year-old born in Taranaki, resumed yesterday alongside recalled international Jamie How with Central Districts on 74 without loss.

These two continued to prosper on a ground with invitingly small boundaries and they were not separated until How hit out once too often when he had reached 93 and the team total stood at 159.

Ingram's vigil, lasting almost 6 hours, finally ended on 366 when his defences were breached by quick bowler Hamish Bennett, after 20 fours and three sixes.

Weston ended the affair with his second six of the innings.

- NZPA