Cricket: Drizzle dashes dazzling dreams

FRUSTRATION: George Worker made an unbeaten 80 yesterday but the rain scuppered any hopes of a victory at Basin Reserve, Wellington. PHOTO/Warren Buckland

The runs drought is not over but the dream of a consecutive treble of one-day titles certainly is for the Central Districts Stags.

Rain ruined any straw-clutching hopes the visitors had against the Wellington Firebirds at the Basin Reserve yesterday in round six of the Ford Trophy competition.

To steal the words of CD skipper William Young, it was too little, too late again after the Stags posted 150-2 in 30 overs when rain set in for an abandonment.

Opener George Worker was unbeaten on 80, including 10 boundaries and a six, but it gave him no more joy than Young, who backed him up with 44 runs at No 3.

"It's a little bit disappointing but you can't do anything about that," said Black Caps squad member Worker of the frustrating result.

Is the dream over?

"We're still hopeful but I don't know the exact mathematics of it. I think we're reliant on a couple of results so I guess we just have to sit back and see what happens."

Last on the table with two rounds to go, CD are on six points but needed Otago Volts and the Canterbury Kings immediately above them to stumble.

The Southerners didn't yesterday. The Volts beat Auckland Aces by 33 runs at Queen's Park Oval, Invercargill, and the Kings pipped Northern Districts Knights by two runs in Christchurch.

Bonus points aside, the victors take four points while CD and the Firebirds share two each.

CD now need a miracle. That is, two bonus-point wins (10 points in total) and pray ND, Aces and Kings remain static on 15 points.

"We've made it pretty tough on ourselves," said Worker, the second highest one-day scorer this summer, 63 runs behind Sean Solia, of Auckland.

Maybe Worker shopuld have been opening batting with Tom Latham at McLean Park, Napier, today with opener Martin Guptill out with precautionary measures for a hamstring.

That's assuming Black Caps coach Mike Hesson is looking at the future considering ND batsman Dean Brownlie is in his twilight years.