By TERRY MADDAFORD
Michael Parlane stole the show in steering Northern Districts to a five-wicket win over a spirited Canterbury cricket side at Whangarei's Cobham Oval yesterday.
The win shot Northern into a share of the Shell Trophy lead with Wellington, on 26 points, to set up what promises to be a close finish. The Robbie Hart-led northerners play contenders Otago and Wellington in their remaining matches.
Canterbury played their part in a match reduced to three days.
Declaring his team's second innings at 143 for seven after they had added 68 runs in 65 minutes yesterday morning, Canterbury skipper Gary Stead - who completed a good match double with 121 not out and 63 - set the home side a target of 274 from a minimum of 82 overs at 3.34 runs an over.
His reckoning was spot on. Grant Bradburn hit a boundary from the last ball of the 82nd over to post the winning runs with two overs to spare.
Parlane made the difference. In a rare outing on his home ground, the opener scored 105 - his first first-class century at Cobham Oval. It was the first century by an ND batsman in this season's trophy competition and Parlane's first in five seasons.
The previous best this season was 89 scored by Parlane's younger brother, Neal, in the second round against Central Districts at Taupo.
After losing James Marshall and Mark Bailey before 50, Parlane found solid support from Hamish Marshall and Bradburn as he blazed away.
His century took 218 minutes (171 balls) and included 17 sweetly struck boundaries and a couple of sixes.
"It was good to break the drought," said Parlane. "I felt relaxed out there."
Bradburn later assumed the anchor role.
With a helping hand from Matthew Hart - until he was run out by a direct Shane Bond throw - and Northlander Joseph Yovich, he helped his side home to savour a sound all-round match in his record-breaking appearance for ND.
The visitors lost no friends for their approach, which deservedly earned them a couple of points and showed that given a season or two they might be a force again.
And, as many suspected, there was not much wrong with the pitch on which 343 runs were scored on the final day.
Cricket: Parlane gets Northern home
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