Cricket: Three is the magic number

Shane Bond made a lively start. Photo / Getty Images

Canterbury took wickets with the last three balls of the game to snatch a thrilling tie with Auckland in the one-day game at Colin Maiden Park yesterday.

Canterbury scored 287 for seven and, with three balls to go, Auckland needed only one run to win with three wickets in hand.

Enter Carl Frauenstein. The bearded medium-pacer bowled Anaru Kitchen with his first ball. He repeated the dose against Lance Shaw and when Michael Bates tried to sneak a single off the last ball, he was run out.

Frauenstein was the hero but Canterbury set their target largely thanks to a fine 122 off 138 balls by Michael Papps. Auckland were well served by good contributions from Scott Styris (77), Ravi Bopara (53), Gareth Hopkins (48) and Reece Young (47).

Auckland remain on top of the table with one round to go and still well placed for the semifinals.

The Canterbury innings had started disastrously. The first ball was a perfectly pitched outswinger from Shaw, which Rob Nicol deflected into his stumps as he tried to withdraw his bat.

It was a sharp reversal for the former Aucklander, who starred with bat and ball in Canterbury's win in the Twenty20 competition on the same ground last month. Shaw opened with two maidens and a wicket and his opening five overs cost 22.

At the other end, the left-arm pace of Bates was more generous as he slipped too often down the legside to concede 29 off three overs with three wides.

Papps and Peter Fulton consolidated to reach 82 before Fulton was caught at cover for 47, driving on the up at Bopara in the 14th over.

Papps reached his 50 off 70 balls and added 91 with Johan Myburgh, who was caught by Lou Vincent at backward point off Ronnie Hira.

With 10 overs to go, Canterbury were 193 for three as Papps upped the pace.

He went to his hundred with sixes off consecutive balls from Colin de Grandhomme as he and Shanan Stewart added 50 at a run a ball.

The opener's fine innings ended with the total at 249, when he was caught at point by Tim McIntosh off Hira's left-arm spin. His 122 included 11 fours and three sixes.

Stewart's 36 off 32 balls was cut short when Shaw returned to the crease, beginning his second spell as he had his first by scattering the stumps.

Best of the Auckland bowlers was Bopara, who took three for 44 off his 10 overs, while Shaw finished with three for 56 off nine. Auckland used seven bowlers, including Vincent, whose one over cost four runs.

Auckland's start was not promising as Shane Bond steamed in from the Glendowie end and Chris Martin proved just as challenging at the other.

Vincent hit one fine off drive before he was caught at the wicket off Bond for 12. Tim McIntosh, fresh from a century in the last game, managed only three before he was caught in the slips off Martin.

Bond could have had another early wicket but Papps couldn't hold on to a high chance from Ravi Bopara when he was eight. The English professional went on to score 53 and add 87 off 90 balls with Reece Young.

The advent of offspinner Nicol saw the end of Bopara, caught at the wicket trying to cut.

Chris Harris and Nicol slowed the scoring to a crawl. The return of Martin saw Young caught behind for 47.

Styris and Hopkins were very patient with 122 balls bowled without a boundary. Styris had only one four in his first 50. With 10 overs to go Auckland still needed 83.

Styris was out for 77 off 71 balls after an over of marginal full-tosses from Martin. Hopkins fell for 48, trying to carve Bond to the boundary and de Grandhomme was caught at the wicket two balls later.