KEY POINTS:
Good things do come to those who wait. Ask Central Districts's lefthander Brad Patton.
At 29, Patton announced himself on the New Zealand first-class scene with a fine match double of 57 and 142 to spearhead CD's 138-run win over Auckland in Napier yesterday.
Requiring 342 to win,
Auckland were dismissed for 203 by lunch yesterday, the last four wickets tumbling for 44.
The real damage happened on the third afternoon, when Auckland, having been set 342 to win, courtesy of Patton's ton, slumped to 130 for five.
In 1998-99, Patton was in the New Zealand under-19 team which hosted England in a series. Several of his teammates - Michael Papps, Tim McIntosh, James Franklin, Peter McGlashan, Bruce Martin and Black Sticks hockey international Hayden Shaw - went on to first-class or test careers.
Patton had to wait until March last year for his debut, an eight-ball duck against Canterbury, and that was his lot until this week.
Given a second chance, he took it. His 57 was the top score in CD's first innings 213 and he parked himself at the crease to push CD into a winning position in the second innings, batting 404 minutes, facing 285 balls.
CD's new coach Dermot Reeve was rapt with Patton's effort.
"The selectors have done well there and gone with their gut, having watched him play a trial game," the former England allrounder said yesterday. "He distinguished himself superbly with two really fighting innings."
Reeve said the Hawkes Bay man's century was a "good knock of character, he played nice and straight".
And he hopes more will be seen of a player who might turn out to be a good late developer.
"He's at an age where his best years are ahead of him," Reeve said. "He's got character, he's not that young, and when people get more rounded as men you learn more about your game and how to cope with the game itself.
"You look at Mike Hussey [a late starter in international cricket] and what he's done with Australia. Your best years as a batsman are hopefully 27 to 35."
And yet it's CD's batting where Reeve reckons there's more work to be done. He wasn't satisfied with their second innings effort, but paid tribute to some tidy bowling by Auckland's Andy McKay and Lance Shaw which restricted CD on the third day.
"It's always nice to start the season with a win, but we've got to keep our feet on the ground," said Reeve, who is in his first season as coach.
Auckland, having taken maximum points off Canterbury in their first game, gave up their early advantage on the points table, and were on the back foot from the time their first innings slumped to 42 for six, courtesy of a fine spell of swing bowling by Ewen Thompson on the second day.
Wellington v Canterbury
Franklin's return
Defending champions Canterbury's start to their campaign remains in first gear.
Having been well beaten by Auckland last week, they were done by an innings and 42 runs by Wellington at the Basin Reserve yesterday - some small revenge for last season's defeat in the final on the same ground.
And the biggest plus out of the match from the New Zealand selectors' point of view would have been the performance of allrounder James Franklin.
Making his way back from long-term knee problems, having missed all of last season, Franklin contributed 69 in Wellington's 428 for eight declared, and took four for 56 from 23.1 overs in the course of Canterbury's innings of 162 and, following on, 224.
Franklin will be taking it easy at the bowling crease, to ensure a steady increase in workload. If he can return to his best he will be a real asset for New Zealand, but that remains some way off just yet.
Canterbury's performance was pretty dire. Opener Michael Papps hit 40 in their second innings, their only player to reach that mark in the match.
Wellington's bowlers all chipped in, left arm spinner Luke Woodcock's four for 44 and Essex allrounder Graham Napier's three for 40 the keys to Canterbury's second innings' demise.
Otago v Northern Districts
The Butler did it
Trent Boult and Ian Butler produced the eye-catching efforts as Otago grabbed first innings points at University Oval yesterday.
National under-19 international Boult took five for 58 in his first-class debut for Northern Districts but former international fast bowler Butler, in his first game for Otago, was the pivotal figure.
Otago were 235 for nine, 40 behind ND's first innings total before Butler, with a gritty 37 not out in an hour and a half against his old team, and last man James McMillan sneaked the hosts past ND's 275 before declaring.
There was briefly a hint that Otago could snatch outright points when ND slumped to 118 for six in their second innings but they battled to safety, finishing on 181 for seven. Butler, whose international career was cut short partly by back problems, had a handy return with the ball too, taking four for 78 overall from 31 tidy overs.
