Otago, Auckland and Canterbury register wins

Ford Trophy 2011-12, 1st match-day

ESPNcricinfo staff

November 25, 2011

The first round of matches in the Ford Trophy 2011-12, New Zealand's domestic 50-over competition, saw convincing wins for Otago, Auckland and Canterbury.

Otago beat Northern Districts by 111 runs at the University Oval in Dunedin. Craig Cumming was their star with the bat, scoring 123 off 115 balls to help Otago reach a total of 295 for 6 after choosing to bat. Cumming's innings was supported by useful contributions from 20-year-old Michael Bracewell, who scored 41, and Nathan McCullum, who got 56. Northern Districts' Bradley Scott was particularly expensive, going for 71 runs in his 10 overs.

Northern Districts' chase was derailed early by seamer Ian Butler, whose two strikes left Northern Districts 29 for 3. James Marshall attempted a recovery and scored 72, but wickets fell in the middle overs, then the tail collapsed and Northern Districts were bowled out for 184 in 39 overs. Butler finished with 5 for 33 while Nathan McCullum picked up three wickets.

Auckland's middle and lower order took them out of trouble before Andre Adams combined with the spinners to bowl Wellington out for 177 and deliver a 72-run victory at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln. Auckland chose to bat but were 53 for 4 after losing three wickets in the space of four balls: two to fast bowler Scott Kuggeleijn and one to James Franklin. Anaru Kitchen and Colin de Grandhomme put on 56 for the fifth wicket but then fell in quick succession. Auckland's lower order, though, ensured they posted a competitive total. Kyle Mills scored 27, Andre Adams got 33 off 27 balls and Ronnie Hira top-scored with 48 off 39 to take Auckland to 249 all out in 49.4 overs.

Wellington's chase got off to a solid stand thanks to Michael Papps' half-century but wickets started to tumble once Adams and the spinners came into the attack. Adams finished with 5 for 29, spinners Hira and Bhupinder Singh took two wickets each and Wellington were bowled out for 177.

Four wickets from seamer Matt Henry scuppered Central Districts' chase and gave Canterbury victory by 66 runs at the Mainpower Oval in Rangiora. Central Districts were in the game at 144 for 2 in the 30th over, chasing 268, and Ben Smith and Mathew Sinclair on half-centuries. Sinclair fell to legspinner Todd Astle and Henry then took two quick wickets to derail the chase. Central Districts ended up being bowled out for 202 and Henry finished with 4 for 25.

Canterbury's total had been built around half-centuries from George Worker, Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls. They elected to bat and lost two wickets within the first three overs before Worker and Latham's 95-run partnership bailed them out of trouble. Worker was dismissed for 50 but Nicholls came in and formed another important partnership with Latham. Nicholls batted on after Latham was dismissed for 78 and finished with 74 not out.

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Canterbury sign Yasir Arafat for HRV Cup

New Zealand domestic news

ESPNcricinfo staff

November 25, 2011

Canterbury have signed Yasir Arafat, the Pakistan fast-bowling allrounder, for their domestic Twenty20 cricket campaign this summer. Arafat played both the Twenty20s and one-day games for Otago two seasons ago, and took 16 wickets in 14 games and scored a century. This year he will represent Canterbury only in the HRV Cup.

Arafat has played 11 ODIs and three Tests for Pakistan but has not been in the national side since February 2010. He will join Canterbury after a summer with Surrey in which he took 49 wickets at an average of 34.53 across formats in the English domestic season.

"We're delighted to get Yasir and I think he'll be great for us," Canterbury coach Bob Carter said. "He will bring a real balance to the side with his all-round game I think, something that will be very useful in Twenty20 cricket.

"'We were after a bowling allrounder to complement our batting strength and his all-round skills will be very valuable for us. He's an explosive player capable of doing some special things with the ball and bat, and we're hoping that he can add to the environment we've already created."

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Three rain-affected draws in third round

Plunket Shield 2011-12, 3rd round

ESPNcricinfo staff

November 23, 2011

Persistent rain meant only 219 overs could be bowled at the University Oval in Dunedin, and Northern Districts and Otago had to settle for a draw. Northern Districts stayed top of the table after taking six points from the game on account of passing 350 runs within 110 overs of their first innings and taking seven wickets in Otago's first attempt. The bulk of the action was on the third day, when 105 overs were bowled. Northern Districts had built a base on the second day, after the first day was completely washed out, and had reached 159 for 1 thanks to an opening stand of 96 between BJ Watling and Brad Wilson, who scored 52. Watling took his score to 150 on the third day, and James Marshall, Joseph Yovich and Peter McGlashan all got half-centuries before Northern Districts declared on 482 for 5.

Seamer Graeme Aldridge struck twice to reduce Otago to 24 for 2 on the third day but rain after tea on the final day meant they did not have the opportunity to bowl Otago out in the first innings. They managed to reduce Otago to 210 for 7 though, with Aldridge finishing with 3 for 33 and debutant Mitchell Santner taking 2 for 71.

Canterbury made a strategic declaration on the third day of another truncated game, against Central Districts at the Mainpower Oval in Rangiora, but needed more rain on the fourth day to avoid what could have been two uncomfortable sessions. After the second day was washed out, Canterbury moved to 251 for 6 on the third, in response to Central Districts' first-innings score of 307. At that stage they were ahead on first-innings points, with four for taking all ten Central Districts wickets and one for going past 250 themselves. Central Districts had four: two for reaching 300 and two for taking five wickets. Another wicket would have earned them an extra point but Canterbury declared.

Central Districts pushed for a win and got 288 for 4 in their second innings before declaring just before lunch on the final day with Canterbury chasing 345. Canterbury lost a wicket before lunch but rain washed out the final two sessions denying Central Districts the opportunity to try to take the remaining nine wickets.

Central District had centurions in both their innings. In the first, Kruger van Wyk scored 131 and, along with Carl Cachopa (56) and Tarun Nethula (36), rescued his side from 78 for 5. Fast bowler Andrew Ellis had rocked Central Districts' top order and finished with 4 for 81 but they recovered to score more than 300. Mathew Sinclair was Central Districts' centurion in the second innings, scoring 118 not out off 177 balls. Canterbury's 251 for 6 in the first innings was built on half-centuries by Peter Fulton and Ellis.

An aggressive declaration by Wellington nearly backfired but rain on the fourth day at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln prevented Auckland from pushing for a win after they had Wellington tottering at 86 for 5 chasing 250. After rain washed out the second day, Wellington had declared on 233 for 5 on the third, in response to Auckland's 357 for 7. Their bowlers vindicated that move on the fourth day, with spinners Jeetan Patel and Luke Woodcock combining to bowl Auckland out for 125. That left Wellington with 250 runs to chase in just over two sessions but they slipped to 58 for 5.

Tim McIntosh's century had carried Auckland to a first-innings total of more than 350, giving them three points, while Wellington earned three too for taking seven wickets. Wellington then slipped to 40 for 4 in their first innings before James Franklin's 68 and Woodcock's unbeaten century recued them. They declared before they went past 250, though, and Auckland's five wickets meant they went ahead on first-innings points: five to three.

Wellington then pushed for the win. Patel took 5 for 39 and Woodcock grabbed 4 for 16 as Auckland were skittled in 50.3 overs. Auckland fought back through strikes from Andre Adams and left-arm spinner Bruce Martin but rain intervened before what was poised for a tense finish.

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Thigh injury ends Martin Crowe's comeback

New Zealand domestic news

ESPNcricinfo staff

November 21, 2011

Martin Crowe's comeback to club cricket in Auckland at the age of 48 has ended after he was forced to retire hurt three balls into his first innings. Crowe pulled a muscle while batting for Cornwall against Parnell on November 19.

"While getting off the mark yesterday I pulled a thigh muscle running a normal single into the covers. So three balls into my first premier match back, it's over," Crowe wrote in an email to media outlets. "I said from the start it would end in tears with an injury.

"I pulled a hip flexor in July, a hamstring in August, a groin in October and now a thigh, all upper left leg, all compensating for a dodgy arthritic right knee. No tears, but frustrated after a lot of hard work getting ready."

Crowe had announced his decision to return to competitive cricket in May, 15 years after his retirement. He had been forced to quit international cricket due to a bad knee. He had said he saw his comeback as a means of self-motivation and a tool to get fit - and also an opportunity to score the 392 runs he needs to tally 20,000 first-class runs.

"It was sort of fun along the way," Crowe said. "I got to hit lots of balls over five months, experiencing the joy of batting again. But as soon as it required the important running bit, the old problems kicked in.

"No regrets, although it would've been nice to bat at Cornwall Park once more ... Instead, Parnell CC will be the last ground I walk out on to thinking `head still, play straight'."

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Williamson double-ton sinks Wellington

Plunket Shield 2011-12, 2nd round

ESPNcricinfo staff

November 17, 2011

Kane Williamson's career-best score of 284 not out was the highlight of a clinical team performance by Northern Districts that saw them thrash Wellington by an innings and 230 runs at the Lincoln No. 3 Ground. Northern Districts put Wellington in and Tim Southee ripped through Wellington's line-up, picking up 7 for 37 as Wellington were skittled for 162. Williamson then ensured his team got a 446-run first-innings lead with his first double-century in first-class cricket, and in Wellington's second innings it was Northern Districts' spinners who were among the wickets to complete an all-round performance and their first win of the season.

Northern Districts dominated the match from the start: Southee picked up a wicket with the last ball of the third over of the game, and in the next 22-year-old left-arm seamer Trent Boult struck twice to leave Wellington 12 for 3. Stephen Murdoch scored a half-century and stitched together a 101-run stand with Grant Elliott but Southee came back and took six wickets in a remarkable six-over spell to end Wellington's innings in just 54.4 overs.

Northern Districts seized control of the game by the end of the first day itself, with Williamson and Brad Wilson laying a solid foundation. On the second day, the rest of Northern Districts' middle order did a fair job of supporting Williamson, who got his runs at a strike-rate of 71.00 and hit 31 fours and a six in his mammoth innings.

Wellington were staring down the barrel when Northern Districts declared 11 overs into the fourth day on 608 for 9 but they would have been disappointed to not even stretch the match to a fourth day. They lost wickets at regular intervals, with Daniel Vettori picking up 3 for 28 and Williamson following up his double-ton with three wickets, and were bowled out for 216 in 82.2 overs.

A shocking collapse from Otago on the third day saw them bowled out for 63, giving Central Districts an innings-and-seven-run-victory at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln. It was a bizarre twist in a match that had been fairly evenly poised at the start of the third day, with Otago 41 runs behind with nine wickets in hand. They could only add another 34 runs to their overnight score of 29 for 1, with fast bowler Michael Mason completing a six-wicket haul and legspinner Tarun Nethula bagging three wickets. Seamer Adam Milne struck with the second ball of the third day and Mason and Nethula went about wrecking the rest of Otago's line-up. There were only three double-digit scores for Otago and seven batsmen were dismissed for scores of 3 or less. It was a remarkable turnaround from Otago's first game, when it had been them who bowled Canterbury out for 61 in their second innings to earn a win.

Otago had been put in on the first day and were bowled out for 207 with Nethula taking a career-best 6 for 32. Sam Wells scored 57 and Otago were 127 for 3 at one stage but the middle and lower order could not build on the base. Seamers Neil Wagner and Ian Butler made sure Central Districts could not get a big first-innings lead, taking seven wickets between them to bowl Central Districts out for 277. At one stage they had Central Districts at 99 for 4 but Ben Smith scored 52 and Kruger van Wyk got 72 to ensure their team got the lead.

Still, it was only a 70-run lead and Central Districts would have expected to have been made to work for the win. The collapse of 34 for 9 on the third day, though, meant they did not even have to bat again.

The only game that went the distance ended in a draw as Canterbury and Auckland registered a stalemate at Mainpower Oval in Rangiora. Canterbury got eight points out of the fixture with a first-innings lead, while Auckland had to settle for five points. Canterbury's dominance was based on Dean Brownlie's 171 off 268 balls, with 22 fours and three sixes. After Canterbury had slipped to 146 for 4, Brownlie steadied the innings in Reece Young's (80 off 125) company, before propelling them forward in partnership with Andrew Ellis (97 off 70 balls).

Auckland's reply was a curious affair, with two of the top four bagging ducks, and eight of their wickets falling for contributions under 16. Willie Lonsdale was the main destroyer, picking up 4 for 82 in 23 overs, while Todd Astle took three wickets. The men who got in, though, - Martin Guptill and Colin de Grandhomme - struck it rich. Guptill powered to 195, while de Grandhomme made 117 off 134 balls. Their 211-run sixth wicket stand formed the backbone of the innings, but Auckland still fell 111 runs short of a lead.

George Worker hit a ton in Canterbury's reply, as they declared at 243 for 9, setting up a stiff chase of 354 on the final day. Guptill began aggressively, but the rest of the top order played it safe. Gareth Hopkins ended with an unbeaten 63 before the teams called it off, with Auckland at 196 for 4. They stayed at second spot in the table, while Canterbury were fifth, four points ahead of last-placed Wellington.

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Williamson double-ton sinks Wellington

Plunket Shield 2011-12, 2nd round

ESPNcricinfo staff

November 16, 2011

Kane Williamson's career-best score of 284 not out was the highlight of a clinical team performance by Northern Districts that saw them thrash Wellington by an innings and 230 runs at the Lincoln No. 3 Ground. Northern Districts put Wellington in and Tim Southee ripped through Wellington's line-up, picking up 7 for 37 as Wellington were skittled for 162. Williamson then ensured his team got a 446-run first-innings lead with his first double-century in first-class cricket, and in Wellington's second innings it was Northern Districts' spinners who were among the wickets to complete an all-round performance and their first win of the season.

Northern Districts dominated the match from the start: Southee picked up a wicket with the last ball of the third over of the game, and in the next 22-year-old left-arm seamer Trent Boult struck twice to leave Wellington 12 for 3. Stephen Murdoch scored a half-century and stitched together a 101-run stand with Grant Elliott but Southee came back and took six wickets in a remarkable six-over spell to end Wellington's innings in just 54.4 overs.

Northern Districts seized control of the game by the end of the first day itself, with Williamson and Brad Wilson laying a solid foundation. On the second day, the rest of Northern Districts' middle order did a fair job of supporting Williamson, who got his runs at a strike-rate of 71.00 and hit 31 fours and a six in his mammoth innings.

Wellington were staring down the barrel when Northern Districts declared 11 overs into the fourth day on 608 for 9 but they would have been disappointed to not even stretch the match to a fourth day. They lost wickets at regular intervals, with Daniel Vettori picking up 3 for 28 and Williamson following up his double-ton with three wickets, and were bowled out for 216 in 82.2 overs.

A shocking collapse from Otago on the third day saw them bowled out for 63, giving Central Districts an innings-and-seven-run-victory at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln. It was a bizarre twist in a match that had been fairly evenly poised at the start of the third day, with Otago 41 runs behind with nine wickets in hand. They could only add another 34 runs to their overnight score of 29 for 1, with fast bowler Michael Mason completing a six-wicket haul and legspinner Tarun Nethula bagging three wickets. Seamer Adam Milne struck with the second ball of the third day and Mason and Nethula went about wrecking the rest of Otago's line-up. There were only three double-digit scores for Otago and seven batsmen were dismissed for scores of 3 or less. It was a remarkable turnaround from Otago's first game, when it had been them who bowled Canterbury out for 61 in their second innings to earn a win.

Otago had been put in on the first day and were bowled out for 207 with Nethula taking a career-best 6 for 32. Sam Wells scored 57 and Otago were 127 for 3 at one stage but the middle and lower order could not build on the base. Seamers Neil Wagner and Ian Butler made sure Central Districts could not get a big first-innings lead, taking seven wickets between them to bowl Central Districts out for 277. At one stage they had Central Districts at 99 for 4 but Ben Smith scored 52 and Kruger van Wyk got 72 to ensure their team got the lead.

Still, it was only a 70-run lead and Central Districts would have expected to have been made to work for the win. The collapse of 34 for 9 on the third day, though, meant they did not even have to bat again.

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New Zealand Domestic One-Day Competition Renamed

Ford Trophy, 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff

November 4, 2011

New Zealand's domestic one-day competition has been renamed the Ford Trophy, New Zealand Cricket announced today. Ford is currently the official sponsors of the six major domestic teams and the official vehicle supplier to New Zealand Cricket, the men's and women's senior teams.

The tournament was earlier called the New Zealand Cricket One Day Competition. "Cricket has already benefited from the investment Ford has made in the sport at both domestic and international levels," Justin Vaughan, NZC chief executive, said. "To be able to link the highly regarded Ford name to our one-day competition - which has a rich tradition of developing our best players - further strengthens that partnership."

The first match of the Ford Trophy for the 2011-12 season will be played on November 25, with the final scheduled for February 12, 2012.

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