Cricket: Tweakers leave Firebirds in a spin

Stags spinner George Worker took three wickets to help CD dismantle the Firebirds at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, yesterday to finish at the top of the table. PHOTO/Paul Taylor

JUST as it's a sin in cricket to overstep the bowling crease when rolling one's arm, it's also unpardonable for a team to fail to use every allocated ball in a twenty20 match when setting a target for the opposition.

In that sense, the writing was on the wall pretty early for the Wellington Firebirds at the Basin Reserve yesterday when the Central Districts Stags beat them by six wickets to find a perch on the top rung of the McDonald's Super Smash table.

Captain Hamish Marshall won the toss and must have regretted padding up after CD skittled them for 133 runs with two balls to spare on what CD seamer Ben Wheeler described as a "two-paced wicket".

In reply, the William Young-skippered Stags overhauled the target with 134-4 in 16.3 overs.

"I think we executed quite well. When George [Worker] and Marty [Kain] bowled through the middle they just kept taking wickets and kept the pressure on them the whole time," he said of the spinners.

The lower-order batsmen gave them a chance to make inroads to tighten the choker hold.

"Normally you're trying to hit the boundaries and trying to restrict the fours so it's nice to come in taking all the wickets early."

The 25-year-old from Marlborough said the wicket was a little "tacky" but when it dried up it offered bounce off a length.

"It was probably a nice one for us to bowl first," he said.

Worker took 3-26 while Wheeler and Seth Rance chimed in with two wickets each. Kain had the tidy figures of 1-17 from four overs.

Medium pacer Ryan McCone was the most most frugal with 1-6 from two overs.

Worker and Mahela Jayawardene provided a steady platform with an opening partnership of 52 as the Sri Lanka import top scored with 40 runs and the former made 32.

"They really set up the chase with 50 or so in the first six overs although we probably lost a few more wickets than we would have liked to but that's the way," said Wheeler.

It was a memorable day with the family on Sunday for Wheeler and batsman Tom Bruce who received a call from national selector Gavin Larsen on Christmas Eve to inform them of their inclusion into the 14-man Black Caps T20 squad for the three-match series against Bangladesh.

"I was on tour when the boys played T20s so it was a pretty awesome game because it brings a little bit more pressure so it'll be a great test," said six-ODI Wheeler.

He was still a little off his tempo yesterday while recovering from food poisoning.

"It took me out quite a bit, to be honest."

Bruce, 25, was pretty collected after his call up to add 24 runs to the cause.

"Yes, the usual Bruiser out there and he hit a couple of big sixes so he's obviously seeing the ball pretty well at the moment and playing the game really well," said Wheeler.

The Stags were upbeat after snapping out of a two-game loss.

"It's always good to be on the top and, hopefully, we can keep this momentum going we've got out of this game so the mood in the camp is pretty positive."

Wheeler said Auckland Aces would be another chance to step up and CD would be ready for them on Thursday at a compact Pukekura Park, New Plymouth.