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Source: Reuters
Sparkling Southee grabs eight-wicket bag
Northern Districts pace bowler Tim Southee tore Wellington's first innings apart when he grabbed eight wickets on the opening day of their Plunket Shield four-day cricket match at Hamilton on Tuesday.
Wellington, with useful contributions of 69 from Josh Brodie, 88
from Cameron Merchant and 58 by Luke Woodcock were 241 for six at
one stage after tea. But Southee ripped through the lower order to
have them all out for 263.
Full day one scoreboard here
His eight wickets cost just 27 runs from 25 overs that included 12 maidens.
It was his fifth first class five-wicket bag and surpassed his previous best figures of six for 68 against Auckland in the 2007/08 season.
Wellington, sent in to bat after losing the toss, were in early trouble at 27 for two after Southee removed skipper Matthew Bell with nine runs on the board and Joseph Yovich dismissed Neil Parlane for one.
But the in-form pair of Josh Brodie and Cameron Merchant patiently restored order by adding 110 runs together before Southee drew an edge off Brodie which wicketkeeper Peter McGlashan pouched.
Brodie's 69, his third first class 50, followed a 103 in his previous match against Auckland.
Left hander Merchant, who scored 108 against Auckland as a makeshift opener, featured in another fruitful partnership with Woodcock.
The pair put on 124 for the fifth wicket after Harry Boam became Southee's third victim, departing cheaply for four.
Merchant, a former Northern Districts batsman, stroked 11 boundaries in a patient knock of 88 off 207 balls which lasted 12 minutes short of four hours.
Woodcock, who hit nine boundaries for his 58, misjudged a Brent Arnel delivery which knocked his stumps over. It was his 15th first class half century and followed last week's 64 not out against Auckland.
Southee then took centre stage as he delivered McGlashan his fifth catch of the innings, sending Daniel Bowden off for a duck before dismissing Joe Austin-Smellie for three, Malaesaili Tugaga for a duck and and Michael Burns for four.
At stumps, Northern were six for no wicket with BJ Watling and Brad Wilson to resume on Wednesday.
Centuries set Canterbury up
Boosted by centuries from Michael Papps and Johann Myburgh, Canterbury took early control of their Plunket Shield four-day cricket match against Auckland in Christchurch on Tuesday.
Canterbury ended the day on 368 for six after winning the toss
at Queen Elizabeth Park with veteran former international Chris
Harris finishing the day unbeaten on 83, a score that included nine
fours and three sixes.
Full day one scorecard here
However, it wasn't the most comfortable of starts for Canterbury, who recorded their first outright four-day success since winning the 2007/08 final over Wellington when they beat Otago last week.
Opener Rob Nicol, who last week looked composed in notching 75, could only manage a single on Tuesday before Michael Bates trapped him leg before wicket with the score on 14.
And when Todd Astle disappeared, caught by Anaru Kitchen off English import Ravi Bopara, Canterbury were left teetering at 51 for two.
However, a 181-run partnership between Papps and Myburgh righted the ship until Papps was run out for 107 by captain and wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins with the score on 232.
Bopara, who finished the day with figures of three for 69, then combined with Scott Styris to remove Myburgh after tea.
His brisk 120 came off 168 balls and included 13 fours and four sixes.
Youngster Corey Anderson, the next man in, lasted just two balls before he was bowled by Bopara without scoring, and Canterbury were 315 for five.
Although captain Kruger van Wyk fell late in the day for 11, caught by Bopara off Bates, the experienced Harris saw Canterbury through to stumps
Twin centuries set up Otago
Winless Otago battled back after losing two early wickets to be 357 for two in their Plunket Shield four-day cricket match against Central Districts in Napier on Tuesday.
Both Shaun Haig and Neil Broom notched up their highest first
class scores in Tuesday's third round match with Haig's unbeaten
150 coming off 272 balls and including 19 fours.
Full day one scorecard here
It was the 27-year-old's third first class century, easily eclipsing his previous high of 111.
Broom also bettered his previous first class best of 150, his well-controlled 159 not out coming off 267 balls and including 18 fours and one six.
They crafted an impressive 302-run partnership after Otago lost opener Leighton Morgan for two and captain Craig Cumming for 24 to be 55 for two in the 17th over.
However Haig and Broom dug in to revive the innings. They reached the 300-run mark in five hours 20 minutes, taking 501 balls.
They also set a record third-wicket partnership for Otago against any team, bettering the mark of 227 set by Ken Rutherford and Bruce Blair against Central Districts nearly 20 years ago at Molyneux Park.
Central, who won the toss at Napier's Nelson Park, went through six bowlers in an effort to dislodge Haig and Broom, including 13 overs for 34 runs from Mathew Sinclair, better known for his batting prowess.
Allrounder Jeremy Kuru, in just his second first class game, claimed the valuable wicket of Cumming, trapped leg before wicket, while Ewen Thompson dislodged Morgan in similar fashion as Central's bowlers laboured on a flat track for little reward.
