Cricket: Northern cruise to final

Northern Districts reached the final of the domestic one-day competition when they beat Wellington by four wickets at the Basin Reserve yesterday.

They will meet Auckland at Albany on Saturday.

Northern knocked off the 138 needed for victory in the 39th over.

Wellington limped out on the back on what is disturbingly becoming their trademark - woeful batting.

For most of the summer, and for large chunks of last season, Wellington were bailed out of trouble by their middle and lower order and then by a bowling attack that refused to accept any total was indefensible.

But they came unstuck in the State Shield semifinal. For some odd reason, and one that coach Vaughn Johnson struggled to explain, only Chris Nevin of his batting unit was in any sort of form.

Throw into the equation a fresh-looking Ian Butler, and if Nevin could not save them, then Wellington were always going to struggle to muster a competitive total of around 200.

As it was they were bowled out for 137 in 46.4 overs and Northern overcame two minor batting collapses in reaching their target.

"It wasn't easy early on, but neither was it impossible and we certainly aren't going to blame the wicket - at the end of the day we didn't bat well enough, again," Johnson said. "We were just too tentative."

The only partnership of note was 48 for the second wicket between Nevin (24) and Richard Jones (37), while James Franklin chipped in with a handy 34 before being run out near the end.

When Nevin was dismissed in the the 16th over, Wellington's hopes were pinned on Jones and he appeared to be running into form after a torrid time against Butler.

However, he played across a straight one from medium-pacer Mark Orchard and for once Wellington's middle and lower order could not bail them out.

Northern's bowling was impressive, particularly Butler, who steamed in and bowled quick and straight and deserved his three for 15 off nine overs.

Left-arm spinner Bruce Martin was also a handful, bowling at a nice pace and getting slight turn and drift.

He started with the wicket of Nevin with his first ball and finished with two for 22 from 10 overs.

If Wellington were going to produce another Houdini effort with the ball, it seemed young left-armer James Franklin would open the attack, even if his form of late has been below par.

Franklin is at his most dangerous with the new ball, but Wellington chose to open with Ash Turner, fresh from his five-wicket haul against Otago on Sunday, and Paul Hitchcock.

The new partnership did not come off.

Franklin was kept out of the attack until the 22nd over. Johnson defended the move, claiming Turner's form warranted a reshuffle.

The pick of Wellington's attack were Matthew Walker and Mark Gillespie, who took five wickets between them, but the writing was on the wall without early wickets.

James Marshall gave Northern a flier, Michael Parlane held the innings together in the middle with with 32 off 49 balls, and David Kelly steered them home with an unbeaten 30.

- NZPA