Cricket: CD savour winning feel

Wicket taker Seth Rance (no cap, left) exchanges high fives with George Worker as Jesse Ryder trudges off University Oval to a smile of approval from CD captain Kruger van Wyk. Photo / Otago Daily Times

It wasn't just the first 2014-15 victory last night but the first in almost one and a half seasons of Twenty20 domestic games.

"Oh mate, it feels bloody good to win again," Devon Hotel Central Districts batsman William Young said soon after spearheading the Stags to a six-wicket victory, following their Georgie Pie Super Smash T20 match against the Otago Volts in Dunedin.

Young was 39 not out from 22 balls, including four boundaries and a six, with captain Kruger van Wyk playing the anchoring role with aplomb with an unbeaten 18 from 16 balls at No6.

Left-hand opener George Worker provided a solid platform with 47 runs from 30 balls, including four sixes and a boundary, while No3 Jamie How contributed a sedate 18.

The Heinrich Malan-coached Stags, who finished last in the abbreviated domestic competition last summer, started this season with two losses against the Canterbury Kings and the Northern Districts Knights, respectively, in Hamilton.

"Everyone is pretty happy but at the back of our minds we know it's just the beginning, so we have to build on it throughout the competition," said the former New Zealand under-19 captain, after Van Wyk won the toss and chose to bowl on a wicket under cover for a few days because of rain.

"It did seam a little bit ... and there was a touch of green," said Young as the hosts stuttered and stumbled to a below-par 134 all out with five balls to spare.

Swing merchant Seth Rance, promoted to open while strike bowler Adam Milne dropped to first change, claimed the prized wicket of opener Jesse Ryder for 10 runs in his last ball of the first over, before running out the other Otago opener, Aaron Redmond, for a run in the second ball of fellow new-ball seamer Ben Wheeler.

Black Cap Milne took 3-30 off four overs, including a maiden, while Rance took 2-29 from as many overs.

However, all the bowlers went for more than seven runs an over, with fast-medium pacer Bevan Small and spinner Ajaz Patel the most frugal. They claimed a scalp each for 10 runs from two overs.

"The bowlers did a fantastic job taking the top wickets and then cleaning up in the last eight overs," said the right-hander from Taranaki, who will turn 22 on November 22.

That CD, in reply, overhauled the target with 137-4 and five balls to spare reinforces the bowlers' effort and how tight it could have been had the Volts played their allotted 20 overs.

Young lauded veteran Van Wyk for his calm and collected demeanour during the run chase as medium pacer Sam Wells took some stick at the death.

"Krugs hit a boundary from the first ball off Sam Wells," Young said, mindful the pair had to get the bulk of the job done in the penultimate over with 15 required at a run a ball.

Young finished the game with a four off right-arm fast Jacob Duffy's first ball of the last over.

On a personal note, it was a timely knock for Young, who arrived at the T20 crease in a rich vein of 49 runs in CD's Plunket Shield victory over Otago in Napier, to start their 2014-15 campaign with a bang. He didn't find much traction in the first two T20 matches.

"Heinrich was very clear in his main message before today's game - to show no fear. Be positive and back yourselves to do the job," revealed Young, before the Stags jet up to Auckland for the next round of weekend televised T20 matches.

CD play Auckland Aces from 3.40pm tomorrow at Eden Park and then Wellington Firebirds on Sunday from 12.50pm.

Last night, ND beat Canterbury by 20 runs.