Cricket: Nicol stars in Canty victory

Rob Nicol. Photo / Getty Images

Rob Nicol played a starring role as Canterbury consolidated their position at the top of the men's domestic one-day cricket championship after beating Central Districts by 56 runs at New Plymouth today.

With one round to go before the playoffs, Canterbury have 21 points and look likely to host the preliminary final between the top two teams on February 6.

Nicol, 28, notched the third one-day century of his career with today's 105 and then took four Central Districts wickets with his off-spin.

He reached his 50 with just 47 balls and reached his century after facing another 68 deliveries, hitting 11 boundaries and a six along the way.

The biggest partnership of the inning came when Dean Brownlie joined Nicol at the crease and the pair posted 101 runs for the third wicket.

Nicol was next to go seven runs later but test wicketkeeper Reece Young hit a breezy 44 of 33 balls as the tail wagged with a major contribution of 25 off just 10 balls by Carl Frauenstein to help Canterbury to a daunting 295 for seven.

Central Districts who now find themselves bottom of the table after Wellington beat Northern Districts by 52 runs at the Basin Reserve today, started well in their reply.

But once George Worker, 54, was winkled out by Nicol, their innings fell apart though Mathew Sinclair produced a fighting 57 in a bid to hold the innings together.

Nicol struck three more times to return figures of four for 51 while Andy Ellis chimed in with three for 30.

Kieran Noema produced a bold 40 off 34 balls as he put on 56 runs with Sinclair for the sixth wicket but Ellis and Nicol quickly wrapped up the tail.

Canterbury

R Nicol c Nethula b McClenaghan 105
M Papps c van Wyk b Nethula 21
P Fulton c van Wyk b Nethula 4
D Brownlie c Worker b Noema-Barnett 53
S Stewart b Bracewell 6
R Young not out 44
A Ellis c Nethula b Mason 10
T Astle c McClenaghan b Mason 7
C Frauenstein not out 25

Extras (3lb, 15w, 2nb) 20
Total (for 7 wkts, 50 overs) 295
Fall: 70 89 190 197 211 235 253.
Bowling: M Mason 10-0-55-2 (4w), D Bracewell 8-0-71-1 (2w), M McClenaghan 8-0-64-1 (2w), T Nethula 10-1-35-2 (1w), K Noema-Barnett 10-0-49-1 (2w 2nb), G Worker 4-1-18-0.

Central Districts

P Ingram c Young b Claydon 20
G Worker c Claydon b Nicol 54
B Patton b Astle 16
M Sinclair c Brownlie b Nicol 57
T Weston b Sherlock 6
K van Wyk c Papps b Nicol 5
K Noema-Barnett c Young b Ellis 40
D Bracewell b Ellis 0
T Nethula c Papps b Nicol 2
M Mason c & b Ellis 9
M McClenaghan not out 8

Extras (12lb, 6w, 4nb) 22
Total (for 10 wkts, 45.4 overs) 239
Fall: 46 92 120 130 139 195 195 203 215 239.
Bowling: M Claydon 10-1-46-1, R Sherlock 5-0-41-1 (1w), A Ellis 10-0-30-3 (1w 4nb), C Frauenstein 7-0-32-0, R Nicol 9.4-1-51-4 (1w), T Astle 4-0-27-1.
Result: Canterbury won by 56 runs


- NZPA