Central Districts get their win, but not before some anxiety

A match that began (or rather, did not begin) in uncertainty, progressed slowly and ended controversially as Central Districts beat Northern Districts by three wickets.

The game was originally intended to be a day/night contest, but plans were changed at the last minute because of problems fielders had in seeing the red ball under the lights.

The eight-and-a-half overs that CD needed to reach their target of 65 were spread over three periods of play and almost five-and-a-half hours.

Heavy rain for an hour at lunchtime left the ground sopping, with several centimetres of water on the flat covers. Under the supervision of groundsman Doug Strachan, an impromptu workforce consisting of the CD squad and umpires Peter Wright and Mike George carried out mopping-up operations that allowed play to resume at 4.30pm after an interruption of almost four hours.

Fifteen minutes was possible before rain intervened once more. In the interim, CD reached 29 for the loss of David Kelly, bowled by Graeme Aldridge. At one point all the ND outfielders were on, or near, the boundary as ND slowed things down to the point where 15 balls were bowled in the quarter of an hour session.

ND were reluctant to resume again on what had become a very wet outfield. Play would have almost certainly not begun had it not been clear that only a few overs would be needed, though many would consider that the umpires were right to play if it was at all possible. As ever, opinions were determined by which camp people were in rather than objective considerations.

Once the players finally emerged at 6.15pm, at the same time as the sun, a CD victory was inevitable, as ND acknowledged by giving James Marshall his first bowl in first-class cricket. He claimed the wicket of Peter Ingram, caught at first slip by Grant Bradburn.

ND began the day 19 runs ahead with five wickets standing. For 40 minutes the sixth-wicket pair of Bradburn and Hamish Marshall survived some hostile bowling from Lance Hamilton and Michael Mason, both of whom swung the ball.

Runs were scored at the funereal rate typical of most of the match. Eight runs came from the first six overs.

The breakthrough came with the dismissal of Bradburn, who fended a short delivery from Hamilton into the hands of Ingram at short leg. Bradburn scored 17 from 61 balls. He was sixth out, with the ND total on 61.

Another half-hour passed, with Marshall and Robbie Hart increasingly secure, Mason seen out of the attack and CD casting concerned looks in the direction of the bank of dark clouds approaching the ground.

As so often before, a run out turned things around.

Marshall clipped Andrew Schwass to fine leg. With Hamilton having to run around the ball to throw with his left hand, the batsmen went for two. Hamilton moved to the ball quicker than expected and his throw arrowed into the wicket-keeper's gloves leaving Marshall out 31.

Bruce Martin went three balls later without scoring. Schwass squared him up nicely, Campbell Furlong taking the catch at second slip.

Furlong put down a similar chance offered by Hart in Hamilton's next over.

Schwass claimed the ninth wicket, bringing the ball back into Aldridge to get him lbw for three.

Simon Andrews got his first runs in first-class cricket off the edge later in the same over before Schwass got him with a short one. The ball went from via the edge of the bat and the batsman's chest into the hands of Ingram at short leg.

Schwass took three for nine from three overs and two balls. He has taken 34 wickets in the State Championship this season, one behind leading wicket-taker Andrew Penn. Mason finished with a career-best five for 22.

The total of 90 was ND's lowest of the season, 10 less than their second innings score in the match between the same sides at Blenheim before Christmas. The lowest-ever ND score against CD - 86 at New Plymouth in 1955/56 - was narrowly avoided.

The CD openers Kelly and Ingram knocked off seven of the 65 needed before the rain came ten minutes before lunch.

The win leaves CD three points behind Auckland and Wellington in the State Championship table.

These teams take on the leaders next week. CD host Auckland in Palmerston North, while ND travel to the Basin Reserve, Wellington.