Cricket: Mason hints at national call as he rips aside ND

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Fired-up Central Districts fast bowler Michael Mason sent the national selectors a memo as he ripped Northern Districts' second innings to shreds late on the third day of their match in Hamilton yesterday.

In a devastating spell, 27-year-old Mason, who had earlier helped to steer his side to first-innings points, skittled the top of the Northern batting to finish his seven-over spell with an amazing five for 10 - after claiming five for six at one stage.

The late burst took Mason's haul in State Championship matches this season to 22 after he bowled well without reward in the first innings at WestpacTrust Park.

With Northern struggling - they reached 45 for five at stumps for a paltry 19-run lead - the match is destined for an early finish today.

Having meandered through the first eight sessions, the match finally chugged out of first gear after tea yesterday.

Resuming at 120 for six yesterday morning and with the 323 needed for first-innings points some way off, Central's Bevan Griggs and Campbell Furlong continued the salvage job they had begun late on Wednesday.

Without any real shots in anger, they saw off any threat of being forced to follow - at 173 - and went on to build a record and match-saving seventh-wicket partnership.

In reaching 249, Griggs and Furlong bettered the 1983-84 seventh-wicket record (133) for Central against Northern set by Martin Crowe and Ian Smith.

They were finally separated at 294 but only after both had posted their highest first-class scores.

Griggs went leg-before to Simon Andrews for 76, scored in 297 minutes.

His previous highest score was 49. Furlong followed eight runs later, also adjudged leg-before, for 88 - 34 more than his previous best.

With 21 still needed for first-innings points, Central turned to Andrew Schwass and Mason to steer them home.

They scratched around to reach 311 at tea, but came out after the break and simply blazed away, racing to 348 - a lead of 26 - before Schwass and then Mason were removed.

Coincidentally, both teams batted 531 minutes in their first innings, with Northern averaging 2.35 runs an over and Central 2.45.

Northern's only chance was to see off the deficit and then post a reasonable score in the hope of giving Central something to chase later today.

Mason was having none of that.

He trapped Matthew Hart in front without scoring.

Eleven minutes later he won umpire Peter Wright's approval of a controversial catch that ended James Marshall's innings.

Mason then cleaned out first-innings hero Joseph Yovich, trapped Michael Parlane leg-before and had Scott Styris taken with a stunning catch by David Kelly at backward point/gully.

At 26 for five, Northern had seen off the deficit, but will need a lot more today from Hamish Marshall, Grant Bradburn and the rest to even contemplate saving this one.