Cricket: Nash cops ban for swearing

New Zealand allrounder Dion Nash has been slammed with a three-game suspension for misbehavior during Auckland's 171-run win over Otago at Carisbrook yesterday.

The fiery Nash, who hit a century in the first innings, was punished for using obscene language to umpire Dave Quested and an Otago player.

He will miss Auckland's next State Championship match, against Northern Districts, starting in Hamilton next Friday. He is also sidelined for the one-day games against Northern, starting January 2, and Canterbury, a day later, both at Eden Park.

Auckland Cricket chief executive Lindsay Crocker took a dim view of Nash's behavior.

"He's got to realise he's operating in a climate of change because this hurts us collectively as much as him individually," he said.

The win kept Auckland at the top of the points table, three ahead of Canterbury, but Nash's penalty took some of the shine off the day.

Tama Canning starred with bat and ball for Auckland.

Otago were 14 minutes short of safety when Canning trapped David Sewell leg-before with the second new ball to finish with career-best figures of five for 35.

Otago were dimissed for 188.

The match ended in appropriately gloomy conditions for Otago, whose third consecutive outright loss has them stuck in bottom place on two points.

Left-handed Craig Pryor battled bravely for Otago, staying 122 minutes and 127 balls for his unconquered 27, and tailenders Kerry Walmsley (28 balls) and Sewell (22 balls) showed commendable grit.

But Otago's fate was sealed earlier in the day, when they lost their first three batsmen to leg-before decisions awarded to Canning by umpire David Quested, and to two mindless run-outs.

Canning has a habit of producing match-winning performances against Otago and he broke the back of the top-order resistance yesterday on the way to claiming the fourth five-wicket bag of his career.

He finished with match figures of seven for 106 off 53.3 overs, as well as making a breezy unbeaten 56 in Auckland's second innings.

"Tama seems to get better the more overs he bowls," Auckland coach Tony Sail said.

"He seems to save his best for Otago, that's for sure."

Brendon McCullum, who batted with Lee Germon with a runner after injuring his left knee in the field the previous day, smashed 14 off 17 balls before he became the first of Canning's leg-before victims.

Craig Cumming followed, unhappily, next ball, but the innings was resurrected by a third-wicket stand of 102 in 102 minutes between Rob Lawson and Chris Gaffaney.

Just when it seemed Otago could pose Auckland some serious problems, Gaffaney - who had made a fluent 45 off 54 balls - was trapped in front by Canning.

Andrew Hore struck three lusty fours before he was run out in a photo-finish by a fine throw from the covers by Andre Adams.

Worse followed five minutes later, when Lawson was run out by Aaron Barnes after a monumental mix-up with Germon.

Lawson, who grew in authority and confidence, batted 154 minutes and 146 balls for his slendid 63 and, after his dismissal, it became a matter of whether Otago could bat out time.

- NZPA