Cricket: CD play game of patience

Seth Rance

The Mainpower Oval wicket will offer purchase to spinners on days three and four and the hosts have two spinners in their line-up.

But Devon Hotel Central Districts Stags opening bowler Seth Rance says there's no need to panic in their first-class Plunket Shield match against table-topping Canterbury Wizards at Rangiora.

"We had them 3-11 after six overs and then the sun came out and baked the pitch," the 26-year-old from Wairapapa said after taking 2-51 on day one yesterday to leave the hosts 264-5 at stumps.

"They shut shop for a session and then started scoring," he said of No4 Henry Nicholls and No5 Rob Nicol, who scored 76 each before falling prey to CD spinner Tarun Nethula.

Rance (pictured) said CD would have bowled even if they had been familiar with the demeanour of the wicket.

With No7 Brad Cachopa (61no) and captain Andy Ellis (27no) resuming today, he felt bundling them out for 300 odd would be on the agenda.

Having taken the new ball after 81 overs, the right-armer said CD had the bowlers to do the job.

Rance said he had a rough past two years, finding himself under a surgeon's knife twice for right ankle and right shoulder injuries.

"I'm back in the swing of things now," he said, after playing in the Wellington club scene for a better level of competition.

"My aspirations with CD were realistically not there," said the man who got married in January to Suzannah.

Rance, returning from a two-year absence, wants to reassert himself in the white-ball formats with the Ford Trophy one-day competition starting on Sunday, March 2, against the Wellington Firebirds.