Cricket: Stags set scene, rain does rest

CD batsman Tom Bruce showed his pinch-hitting skills in the opening T20 match in New Plymouth yesterday. PHOTO/Paul Taylor

When it comes to Twenty20 cricket you take maximum points any which way you can and last night the Central Districts Stags gleefully did just that.

Not only did the Heinrich Malan and Ben Smith-coached Stags beat the Canterbury Kings by seven runs, via the Duckworth Lewis method, but they also rocketed to the top of the McDonald's Super Smash table in the opening round in New Plymouth.

"Obviously it was nice to get a good wicket up front which put us in favourable position on the Duckworth Lewis. It was tight but we'll take the win," said opening batsman George Worker, who provided the platform with 36 runs before he was run out at Pukekura Park.

"When it comes to the points tally it doesn't matter [you take a win] but we'll also take a lot of positive notes from our performance so we're pretty happy," said the member of the Black Caps greater squad who returned from injury for his first competitive match in domestic cricket this summer.

CD posted 198-6 in their allotted 20 overs after captain William Young won the toss and padded up.

No 4 Tom Bruce lived up to his billing with 39 runs from 24 deliveries, including four boundaries and two lusty sixes.

No 3 Young (33 from 27 balls), Black Caps allrounder Doug Bracewell (27 off 21) at No 5 and Josh Clarkson, 18 not out, at No 7 weren't going to be left out of the willow party.

The hosts were marginally in front of Canterbury's chase when rain stopped the game for a second and final time at 77-3 after a shower had earlier abbreviated the target to 184 from 18 overs.

CD only managed another 1.2 overs before the umpires pulled the stumps.

Worker said CD kept to the batting script and would take that confidence to round two against Northern Districts Knights at Yarrow Stadium, 10 minutes drive from Pukekura.

"We're young but there are no excuses, so we're beginning to get a few games under our belts with the white ball ... and we have some good strikers of the ball. We just have to go out and express ourselves," said the lefthander, who enjoyed time in the middle although he was "a bit scratchy".

Worker said it was imperative for the Stags to familiarise themselves to the drop-in wicket at Yarrow Stadium in the televised match.

After last summer's trial-and-error on the pitch, he said, the Stags like to believe they will be much wiser for it this season.

Seamers Bracewell and Ben Wheeler were on the money yesterday.

At Seddon Park, Hamilton, yesterday ND pipped the Wellington Firebirds by seven runs while the Auckland Aces came away on the right side of the ledger with a 22-run victory over the Otago Volts at the Eden Park outer oval.