Cricket: Teenager slams quick 132

Teenager Ross Taylor played the innings of his life as Central Districts comprehensively beat Otago by seven wickets in their domestic one-day cricket match at Carisbrook last night.

Taylor, 19, originally from Masterton but now based in Palmerston North, plundered the bowling to make an unbeaten 132 off 136 balls as Central strolled to victory with nine balls to spare.

Taylor struck the ball with brutal power, hitting nine fours and five sixes.

He and opener Jamie How added 66 off 98 balls for the second wicket, while international Mathew Sinclair was the junior partner as they added 118 off 118 balls for the third wicket.

Central overhauled Otago's 238 for eight in the 48th over for the loss of only three wickets.

It was Otago's third consecutive loss and they have dropped to fifth on the points table.

* In Hamilton last night, Canterbury overwhelmed Northern Districts by 81 runs.

The visitors scored 254 and Northern replied with 181, a sizeable amount coming from a last-wicket partnership of 62, a national one-day record.

* The match between Wellington and Auckland at the Basin Reserve was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of rain.

Points: Canterbury 18, Wellington 14, Central 14, Auckland 13, Otago 12, Northern 4.

- NZPA