Northern Districts made Central Districts pay dearly for an inept batting display when they cruised to a seven-wicket win in a State Shield one-day match at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth yesterday.
Apart from Jamie How, with a well-struck 94, and a stubborn 36 from skipper Glen Sulzberger, Central Districts failed
to make full use of a good batting surface.
Some of their shot-making was reckless and the game was as good as over when Central Districts expired for 175 in 45.1 overs, at least 50 short of the minimum required.
Northern Districts went about the run chase in a clinical manner and reached their target for the loss of only three wickets with 5.3 overs to spare.
Their top scorer was opener James Marshall, who made 53 from 73 balls before being dismissed trying to chip a ball through mid-wicket.
Andrew Schwass had earlier dismissed Nick Horsley for 25 while the only other batsman to depart was Matthew Hart for 12.
Unbeaten at the end were Grant Robinson on 42 and Joseph Yovich on 32.
After losing their opening match to Wellington, Northern Districts captain Robbie Hart was happy to get some points on the board.
"The four-day competition hasn't been good to us, so it was good today to run in and bowl really well in the first 15 overs," Hart said.
On a small ground like Pukekura Park he allowed himself some confidence after dismissing Central Districts for 175.
"That was 40-50 runs short on what was a good deck."
Hart praised his bowling attack, particularly Graeme Aldridge, who took three for 28 off eight overs.
"To run in with the new ball and get three out in his opening spell was a big help and probably the winning of the game," Hart said.
Sulzberger had opted to bat first but later regretted the decision.
"They bowled pretty straight and the track was a little bit slowish and variable, which made it difficult to score."
He said things were desperate when the home side found themselves at 29 for four.
"We did resurrect the innings, but just didn't finish as well as we wanted to.
"If things had gone well at the end we could have finished up with 215 or 220 and things may have been different."
In the fourth round tomorrow, Northern Districts play Otago at the Harry Barker Reserve in Gisborne while Central play Wellington in the capital.
- NZPA
