Cricket: Centuries give Cup games thrill a minute

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Centuries in each of the three Shell Cup cricket matches and a desperate last-ditch win for Wellington over Northern Districts provided plenty of action in yesterday's eighth round.

Lou Vincent led the charge with a career-best 145 for Auckland against Central Districts and laid the foundation for a solid 295 and an eventual 75-run victory in the day-nighter at McLean Park.

It was the fourth highest score in Shell Cup history.

"About time, I owed them one," said Vincent. "It is my 16th Cup game. Apart from 55 in the last game I haven't got the runs I should have."

Vincent's day did not end with his departure at 288 - the last wicket to fall - as he had to take over the wicketkeeping duties from Adam Parore, who tweaked an abductor muscle while batting.

Central were struggling from the time Mathew Sinclair was run out without scoring. A mid-innings revival between opener David Kelly and Andrew Penn gave some hope until Penn was hopelessly run out. That signalled the start of the irreversible spiral.

In Whangarei, Michael Parlane scored 111 of Northern's 280 for seven against Wellington, but saw his second Cup ton count for nothing as ND lost on the second-to-last ball to a Richard Petrie onslaught.

At the other end of the country, Nathan Astle continued his magnificent summer with 109 for competition leaders Canterbury, who scored 258 for seven and then restricted Otago to 179 in Invercargill.

Canterbury built their innings around Astle with helpful contributions from his four New Zealand team-mates, Stephen Fleming, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns (in his first Cup match of the summer) and Chris Harris.

Northern had another flyer, with Parlane and Daniel Vettori racing to 99 before Vettori departed for 42.

Joined by brother Neal, Michael Parlane smacked his 111 from 128 balls and hit 14 fours and three sixes. The Parlanes added 114 in 95 minutes to post a second-wicket record for ND against Wellington.

Former Northlander Matthew Bell was the rock at the top of the Wellington innings, but when he departed for 70 in the 37th over with the total at 174, few gave the visitors much chance.

But Petrie thrives on challenges. In an amazing 69-minute, 54-ball stay he smacked five fours and five sixes in an unbeaten 78.

Starting the last over, Wellington needed 15 runs with two wickets in hand. Stephen Hotter sacrificed his wicket in being run out on the first ball. Petrie then hoisted Alex Tait for six, kept out the next, hit the fourth ball over the boundary and completed the remarkable victory by beating Michael Parlane's despairing attempt to keep the ball from reaching the boundary from the next.

Auckland and Canterbury are assured of top-three finishes, with Northern needing to win one of their last two games to book their place.