Cricket: Ryder breaks run drought at last

Stags batsman Jesse Ryder is finding his rhythm with more time on the crease in the Ford Trophy 50-over campaign. PHOTO/Paul Taylor

Like the impending drought in Hawke's Bay, everyone knows the rain is on the way but it's simply a matter of when that is the million-dollar question.

That analogy was applicable to talented batsman Jesse Ryder until yesterday when he definitely opened his account with 68 runs despite the Central Districts Stags losing to the Canterbury Kings by two wickets in the opening one-day Ford Trophy match at Rangiora, near Christchurch.

"Oh, I didn't even know," Ryder quipped when told last night he had chalked up a milestone of 5000 List A runs on reaching 35 runs in his educated 82-ball knock, including eight boundaries in his 93-minute occupation of the crease.

"Yeah, no it's all good to just get on the park to play cricket with the lads again," said the 32-year-old left-hander who also was oblivious to having forged a second-wicket record partnership of 123 runs with Black Caps opener George Worker, who scored 90 runs from 109 balls, including six fours and two sixes.

The pair eclipsed the previous 119-run stand between Mathew Sinclair and Craig Spearman in the summer of 2000-01.

But the highest one-day score of an unbeaten 70 off just 43 balls from No 7 Joshua Clarkson cannot be overlooked, taking the Stags to 296-6 in 50 overs.

T20 sensation Clarkson's previous highest highest List A score was 27.

"Josh played really well. He gave himself some time when he got in and then finished the innings very well. That's his job and I think he's doing it quite well so, hopefully, he can continue throughout the season for us," said Ryder.

The hosts, who were minus injured captain Andrew Ellis and strike bowler Ed Nuttall, had employed seven bowlers under stand-in veteran skipper Peter Fulton.

"They bowled pretty well at times," said Ryder, who rated his effort as "pretty rough".

Matt Henry, Todd Astle and Tom Johnston all claimed two scalps each.

"It was nice to spend some time in the middle, you know, to get my rhythm back so I'm happy with the way today went."

The former Black Cap has been battling with a recurring calf injury picked up early in the summer during a four-day Plunket Shield match in Napier, which robbed him of almost the entire McDonald's Super Smash T20 campaign.

Noticeably Ryder had resisted the temptation to free his arms for a lusty six or two.

"I think over the last few seasons my game has gone that way and I've been more consistent so that's the sort of innings I want to build now," he said, adding coming in at No 3 and digging his toes into the crease for as long as he could would only benefit the team more.

"In the last three seasons I've been pacing my innings quite well and I've been pretty consistent in the way I've played so I've sort of toned it down a little bit and so I'm hired in that role now."

The Big Barrel Napier Technical Old Boys cricketer said his calf was 80 per cent back to normal but he was intending to manage it as best as he could.

Ryder saluted Worker in the partnership, revealing the leftie played his game.

"It was obviously nice to have a milestone partnership there."

He said the CD bowlers did well on a deck that flattened out as Canterbury snuck home with 297-8 with four balls to spare.

"They [Canterbury] also batted well in their innings."

However, Ryder said defending champions CD had lost their opener to the Kings last summer as well before bouncing back for the title.

Coach Heinrich Malan's Stags are in the hunt for a treble in the format this summer after losing the T20 crown.

"We're a much better team than how we performed today. It's the beginning of the season and we've got our benchmark now so all we have to do is get up there in the next game."