Throwing in the towel is never an option but the Central Districts Stags know too well it's time for a dose of reality.
For the Devon Hotel Stags 434 runs isn't that daunting to chase down on the final day of their four-day Budget Rental Plunket Shield match against Sky City Northern Districts Knights in Hamilton today.
But the loss of three wickets yesterday in their second innings won't do captain William Young and his troops any favours at Seddon Park as ND move closer to maintaining their fourth place on the table above CD but with a healthy margin after the sides started their game level on points. The visitors are sitting a rung below on an inferior net run rate.
Stags coach Heinrich Malan said it would be a different challenge batting to save the match and the immediate goal was to occupy the crease for three-and-a-bit sessions.
"In this game and the previous game against Auckland we've had a few 30s, 50s and 70s with batsmen getting in but not getting on," said Malan as yesterday began with ND allrounder Anton Devcich taking a career-best 4-43 to mop up the Stags' first-innings tail.
