Cricket: Clincial victory with a bonus for Canterbury

Canterbury's one-day campaign is back on track after they posted their first win in four matches, downing reigning champions Central Districts by seven wickets at Hagley Oval yesterday.

Canterbury produced a professional performance to erase the bad memories of a double defeat by Northern Districts in recent rounds.

The hosts restricted Central Districts to 213 then, after Nathan Astle and Peter Fulton laid a solid platform with a 117-run second-wicket stand, accelerated away to win in the 40th over with just three wickets down to claim the bonus point.

Canterbury captain Craig McMillan was pleased with the clinical display, which he wants to continue in their next match against Wellington in the capital tomorrow.

"I thought it was a really complete effort. I thought we did a good job in the field today, which was an area [in which] we let ourselves down in Gisborne the other day.

"Our intensity was something we talked about and we targeted at least one run out and we got two today, which is always a good sign for us."

Canterbury were tested in the field, especially by Black Cap Mathew Sinclair and Jamie How, but weathered their 80-run second-wicket stand.

The introduction of Astle's accurate medium-pacers was a turning point. He slowed the scoring and also pinned Sinclair leg before with the third of three shouts that were all close.

Before that, Sinclair had been in sparkling form plundering 50 from 46 balls with nine fours.

When How was the fourth wicket to fall, Central lost their anchor batsman and it became hard to maintain momentum.

Brisk medium-pacer Stephen Cunis contributed significantly to the Canterbury cause, dismissing How for 55 from 96 balls and making further inroads into the Central middle order to finish with figures of four for 38, just one run off his personal best one-day figures.

About the only glitch was the introduction of Andrew Ellis in the 46th over. He was a late call up to the crease and went for 11 when the charge was on. Chris Cairns went for 13 off the next over, lifting Central past 200.

After the early loss of Michael Papps, Astle and Fulton kept out Central's best bowler, left-armer Lance Hamilton, then began picking runs off the Central attack almost at will.

Astle fell to Hamilton and Brendon McCullum, promoted to No 4, scored 34 from just 20 balls.

Canterbury, with 12 runs off the 39th over, surged into bonus point country and wanted seven from the 40th over, which they achieved with a ball to spare.

- NZPA