Cricket: Pink ball finding domestic friends

Oh no, CD opening batsman Geg Hay lost his wicket on 90 runs. PHOTO/FILE

Does pink actually stink for a major association team that embraces it as their playing colours?

The jury's out on that for the Northern Districts Knights but after the first day of the historic day/night Plunket Shield match at Seddon Park, Hamilton, the Central Districts Stags have got on the front foot with the pink ball in both departments.

Veteran opening batsman Geg Hay and opening seamer Seth Rance's display gave a thumbs up to the pink projectile with ND leg spinner Ish Sodhi.

The Stags, who are winless going into round seven, declared at 272-9 in 78.4 overs in the historic round of day/night Plunket Shield matches played with a pink ball.

Hay top scored with 90 runs, including 15 boundaries, before chief destroyer Sodhi had him sweeping square leg down the throat of rookie captain Corey Anderson.

Black Cap Sodhi claimed 7-107, just outside his first-class best-bowling figures of 7-102.

Ben Smith, captain William Young, Black Cap Tom Bruce, wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver, Ajaz Patel, and Rance also were his victims, albeit for loose change.

Black Caps fast-ball merchant Adam Milne, returning from a prolonged injury hiatus, announced his arrival in style with an unbeaten 51 runs at No 7 with No 11 Blair Tickner also three not out when Young declared.

No 4 George Worker carried on after Hay departed to finish with 72 runs from 92 balls, including 11 boundaries and a six, before medium pacer James Baker had the talented left-hander feathering a delivery into the gloves of wicketkeeper Tim Seifert.

Baker was the hosts' only other wicket taker, claiming 2-60 from 15 overs, including two maidens.

Sodhi worked overtime with 33 overs, including four maidens, so CD left-armer tweaker Ajaz Patel and Worker will be itching to take the ball from Young today in the hope of finding some purchase.

It seemed as if ND new-ball seamer Scott Kuggeleijn got some respect from the CD batsmen to remain wicket-less but the most frugal at 2.28 runs an over from 18 overs.

The declaration from the Heinrich Malan-coached Stags proved to be tactical brilliance as Rance, who finished with figures of four wickets from six overs, including as many runs and two maidens, trapped opener Joseph Carter leg before wicket for a golden duck as well as removing No 3 Bharat Popli scoreless when the batsman was unable to to stop his fifth delivery unsettling the furniture.

It would be interesting to know if those batsmen who were dismissed last night have any issues with seeing or judging the length of the ball properly, never mind its prodigious swing for the first few overs.

That prompted opener Harry Cooper and No 4 Anderson to retreat into a tight V bat/pad stance where they were satisfied to simply take singles and doubles and the odd four.

However, after a gallant 14 runs Cooper also fell lbw to Rance and two balls later No 5 Josef Walker was back in the changing rooms for a duck.

Anderson and left-hander Nick Kelly are on six runs each when ND resume at 2.30pm today on 28-4 in 13 overs.

Wairarapa bowler Rance, who has stamped his supremacy in white-ball formats for the past few summers, is finding traction with the the pink one.

Michael Papps and Andrew Ellis have scored tons for Wellington Firebirds and Canterbury Kings against Otago Volts and the Auckland Aces at Westpac Stadium and Eden Park, respectively.