Cricket: Nine-wicket victory for Cantabs

Todd Astle, Photo / Getty Images

The final round of the Plunket Shield provided a lap of honour for Canterbury and a selection boon to two one-test wonders in their ranks.

The Cantabs, who wrapped up their 17th national first-class title after round nine of the 10-round tournament, closed out the season with a nine-wicket victory over Central Districts at Napier yesterday.

Canterbury were left chasing four to win in their second innings after CD were rolled for just 182 in the second dig. Chief destroyer, once again, was legspinner Todd Astle, whose 6-86 gave him him match figures of 14-234.

Astle played one test for New Zealand in Sri Lanka in 2012 and although his sole wicket came at a cost of 97 runs, nobody who has taken on the spinner's role since has convinced.

Orthodox spinner Bruce Martin was tried and discarded after home and away series against England, while wrist-spinner Ish Sodhi came crashing back to earth with a thud against India after a promising start to his international career.

Sodhi's "upside" is still probably considered higher than Astle's, but the 27-year-old Cantabrian has at least given selectors food for thought as they contemplate a test team to take on the West Indies later this year.

Tom Latham was the other one-test player to make hay in Napier, though his third-ball duck in the second innings took a smidgen of the sheen off his first innings 281.

With no room at the inn in New Zealand's middle order, Latham needs to open to play test cricket and with incumbents Peter Fulton and Hamish Rutherford hopelessly out of nick, his double century was perfectly timed in every sense.

With Martin Guptill making a strong Plunket Shield statement for Auckland, a double switch at the top of the order - while still keeping the coveted right-hand, left-hand combination - is not totally out of the question.

Auckland finished their first-class season with a 106-run win over Wellington on Eden Park's outer oval. Having set Wellington a target of 425, they had the visitors on the rack at 59 for 4 and 108 for 5, but lacked a cutting edge to finish the job quickly.

Tom Blundell (104), Luke Ronchi (66) and Luke Woodcock (42) all frustrated Auckland before Martin had the Woodcock caught by Tim McIntosh to end the match with 2.1 overs remaining.

The win was set up by Craig Cachopa's first-innings double century.

The victory pushes Auckland to third in the standings behind the two South Island associations, with CD fourth, Wellington fifth and Northern Districts, losers to Otago, bottom.