Cricket: Skies clear but draws still looming

Andrew Ellis. Photo / Getty Images

Only one match looks sure to produce a result from a rain-interrupted round of the Plunket Shield, with Wellington still an outside chance of pulling off an unlikely victory over Canterbury.

Rangiora has been the only venue to produce three days of cricket but both Whangarei and Auckland came to the party yesterday, with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

Otago and Northern Districts spent the day conspiring to make their match at Cobham Oval interesting, but both sides may run out of overs, while Central Districts seemed content to take a draw from their visit to Eden Park.

That left much of the intrigue at Mainpower Oval where, after a disastrous first innings saw them slump at one point to 26-6, Wellington rebounded in fine fashion.

Canterbury, who held a 93-run lead at the halfway mark, resumed the third day on 192-6 before eventually declaring their second innings to a close on 376-8. Andrew Ellis (109) and Todd Astle (64) combined to form a 134-run stand for the seventh wicket, helping the hosts set a fourth-innings chase of 470.

The Firebirds made a solid start in their attempt to haul in the massive target, with Michael Papps reaching 68 not out to help his side end the day on 187-4, but the visitors will begin day four still 283 runs in arrears.

In Whangarei, the match will require some more creative captaincy to avoid a draw.

Otago appeared giddy at finally getting some time in the middle, stumbling through to 93-6 before Derek de Boorder made a surprise declaration. Northern Districts were slightly more circumspect in reply, with Brad Wilson (64) and Daniel Flynn (78) forming a 133-run opening stand before Flynn pulled the pin at 223-8. That left Otago to see out the day on 44-1, trailing by 86 runs and leaving a collapse or an extremely generous declaration the only routes to reach a result.

Central Districts' clash with Auckland also saw the opening two days rained out, but Jamie How opted for the opposite approach at Eden Park's Outer Oval as his side batted the full day to reach 381-6 at stumps.

In last place with two losses from two games, the Stags decided to utilise the rain-disrupted match for a bit of batting practise, with How (64), Carl Cachopa (59), Will Young (87) and Greg Hay (77no) particularly enjoying their time in the middle.