Cricket: Styris bangs victory Drum

By CHRIS RATTUE

Scott Styris led Northern Districts to a brilliant five-wicket win over Auckland yesterday in a perfect start to the national one-day competition at Eden Park.

One of the biggest crowds in several years for a domestic match at Eden Park - close to 2000 - saw Styris take advantage of some loose deliveries from Auckland paceman Chris Drum in the final stanza to crack an unbeaten 84 in the State Shield competition.

Bumper crowds also turned out for the international women's tennis tournament just a few kilometres away, making a vibrant start to the sporting year in the Queen City.

The home side appeared to have the upper hand when Lou Vincent led them to a total of 279.

Matt Horne and Mark Richardson had got Auckland away to a flying start and the total could well have been higher. But wickets fell regularly in the middle order and it was left to Vincent, who hit a fine 82, and the lower order to post a total worthy of the beginning.

One of those in a supporting role was Andre Adams, the hard-hitting all rounder who must be close to selection in the national one-day side to be announced tonight for the tri-series.

His 31 from 44 deliveries included glimpses of the power that makes him such a threat, but he would have hoped for a bit more to impress the selectors.

It was left to Styris to produce the match-winning innings, as Northern reached 282, after Hamish Marshall had kick-started their chase with 68 from 62 deliveries.

Northern started sedately and struggled to get on top of Kyle Mills, another in the national selectors' sights, who was used in one opening spell by captain Brooke Walker.

Auckland could well have done with Mills at the death, although Adams did his best to pin them down well in the final couple of overs.

With Northern 50 runs short of victory with six overs remaining and six wickets in hand, Drum and Adams were charged with steering Auckland to the win.

But the effort unravelled for the home side in the 48th over when Drum gave Styris consecutive full tosses on his legs.

The first was hit for four and the second sailed over the midwicket boundary.

Adams conceded just five in the penultimate over. That left 11 needed off the final over but Styris went to work on Drum again, lifting a full length delivery over mid on and finishing the game with another boundary, giving Northern the win with two balls to spare.

* A rapid Craig McMillan century carried Canterbury to a comfortable five-wicket win over Central Districts at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth.

Replying to CD's 213 for five - of which test batsman Mathew Sinclair made 90 and English professional Ben Smith 48 - Canterbury made no match of it, as McMillan got to 109 not out. No other batsman reached 25.

McMillan dominated the scoring, hitting 109 of the 211 runs made while he was at the crease. Canterbury won with 14.3 overs to spare.

* In a game reduced to 39 overs a side, Wellington held off a determined Otago challenge to win their match in Queenstown by just three runs.

Heavy rain on Tuesday night, cut time out of the match and Otago seemed to have a decent chance when they restricted Wellington to 164 for eight in their overs.

Wicketkeeper and opener Chris Nevin held the Wellington innings together. He was undefeated on 87 at the finish off 119 balls, including seven boundaries. The next best effort was 21 from Richard Jones. Former test bowler Kerry Walmsley was the pick of the Otago attack, taking three for 30 in eight economical overs.

Otago's chase began badly when batsman-of-the-moment Brendon McCullum was out for eight, a day before his possibly inclusion in the New Zealand one-day squad for Australia. Andrew Hore made two and Chris Gaffaney was out for seven.

At 91 for six, Otago seemed buried, but Craig Pryor, with 27, and determined late efforts from Walmsley and David Sewell got Otago to the brink of victory at 161 for nine. Left armer James Franklin grabbed three for 27, and the other wickets were shared around.

Canterbury have five points, Wellington and Northern Districts four, with Central Districts, Otago and Auckland yet to get off the mark. Today Auckland host Canterbury at Eden Park while ND play CD at Mt Maunganui.