Cricket: Worker applauds newbies' fortitude

George Worker says it wasn't an easy wicket.

It's fair to say anyone watching the game, let alone cricketers and the coaching stable, would have been chanting incantations while threading their worry beads yesterday in New Plymouth.

The Devon Hotel Central Districts Stags' total (252 runs) looked anaemic at best on the postage stamp-sized Pukekura Park and then rain halted play at 40.3 overs with the Otago Volts requiring 55 from 57 balls to claim victory in the Ford Trophy preliminary final.

But when the rain ceased and the boys came out to play again, part-time left-arm spinner George Worker had aptly stifled any wag left in the visitors' tail for a 49-run victory. Oh and a berth in the grand final against the Auckland Aces at Colin Maiden Park on Sunday.

"Kruger wanted to get two overs out of the way from myself and Matty Thomas. He thought with the batsmen fresh it was good to get our overs out of the way early," Worker said last night of captain Kruger van Wyk, after taking the scalps of Bradley Scott and Jacob Duffy for a miserly run each in the space of three balls when play resumed about 20 minutes later to finish with the figures of 3-25.

The opening batsman, who is the competition's top run scorer with more than 500 runs, played down his bowling, albeit "starting well".

What was pleasing for the Heinrich Malan-coached men was doing the job yesterday with relatively young and inexperienced players after winning the toss and padding up against an opposition stacked with Black Caps.

"Krugs and Heinrich were pleased our young guys tipped up Otago so it was a really good effort," he said after veteran batsmen Jamie How and allrounder Kieran Noema-Barnett were unavailable due to work commitments and injury, respectively.

The hosts must have had a sense of deja vu as they found themselves down 38-3, a trend that had surfaced towards the end of a commendable limited-overs campaign.

Worker said Dane Cleaver (41 runs) and Black Cap Doug Bracewell (45) had forged a pivotal partnership at a crucial stage when CD's wheels looked like coming off.

Playing at home, debutant Tom Bruce (88 from 65 balls) helped the Stags to a so-so total with an over to spare.

"Tom showed character ... and batted superbly in tough situation. It's a shame he couldn't get his 100 on debut because he deserved it.

"It wasn't an easy wicket to bat on so we did quite well to get to 250," Worker said.

CD seamer and leading wicket taker in the format Andrew Mathieson took 3-52 - Aaron Redmond (32), Jesse Ryder (47) and Jimmy Neesham (38).

"Jesse Ryder targeted him a little but he got [the trio]."