KEY POINTS:
Negative tactics from Northern Districts backfired when Canterbury eased their way to victory in their State Championship cricket match in Rangiora yesterday.
Canterbury got home with five wickets to spare after scoring 217 for five in their second innings after Northern Districts were dismissed for 208 after lunch on the fourth and final day.
Canterbury looked to be cruising towards victory when 127 for one but the game turned after a 102-run second-wicket stand between Shanan Stewart and Peter Fulton ended when Stewart was caught behind for 55.
He was immediately followed by Johannes Myburgh, who was run out for one, and Canterbury then slipped to 150 for four when skipper Kruger van Wyk went for 13.
The biggest blow came at 162 when international Fulton's strokeladen innings was ended on 72 when left-arm spinner Bruce Martin trapped him leg before wicket.
In his first match since undergoing knee surgery, Fulton hit his runs off just 83 balls as he struck nine fours and one six.
His departure brought together teenager Corey Anderson and Andrew Ellis and these two got Canterbury across the line with an unbroken stand of 55 as Anderson finished unbeaten on 22 and Ellis 36 not out.
Earlier, Northern Districts, who had an advantage of eight runs on the first innings, resumed this morning in their second innings at 125 for four and immediately made their dour intentions clear.
On a docile pitch demanding accuracy from the bowlers, the Northern Districts batsmen allowed themselves to be dictated to.
A pedestrian scoring rate saw them add just 45 runs in 38 overs up until lunch when their cause was also undermined by the loss of a further three wickets.
Daniel Flynn was needlessly run out for 14, Mark Orchard perished leg before wicket for 32 and Joseph Yovich made just three.
Peter McGlashan spent close to two hours over his 27 and it wasn't until No 10 Tim Southee threw his bat to score 19 from 25 balls that any batsman took the attack to Canterbury.
Spinner Iain Robertson sent down 40 overs to return figures of three for 58, while seamers Hamish Bennett and Brandon Hiini collected two for 25 and two for 32 respectively.
WELLINGTON V OTAGO
Batsman Greg Todd had the satisfaction of defending Otago's honour as the match against Wellington ended in a draw.
Todd was finally dismissed on the fourth and final day at the Basin Reserve in Wellington for 165, his second century of the match, as Otago reached 449 in their second innings to make the game safe.
Wellington were left a target of 273 in just 30 overs to secure their second successive outright result and gave it a whirl early on before shutting up shop.
Jesse Ryder was promoted to open and slammed 17 off 13 balls before James McMillan had him caught before bowling Michael Parlane for one.
Chris Nevin attacked, also to his cost and Wellington found themselves at 69 for three, then 75 for four when Grant Elliott went for two. The game was called off with no result in sight with Wellington on 143 for five with Neal Parlane on 55 and Dewayne Bowden 23.
- NZPA
