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Fast bowler hopes for more opportunities with seamer-friendly ball after five-wicket haul

Firdose Moonda10-Jun-2021Lungi Ngidi hopes to have more opportunity to bowl with the Dukes ball after it helped him earn his second Test five-for in St Lucia. Ngidi, who took 6 for 39 against India on debut in January 2018, rated the Dukes ball as more seamer-friendly than the Kookaburra, used in South Africa, or India’s SG, because of the way it behaves.”I prefer the Dukes ball. It stays harder and moves around a lot more,” Ngidi said after the first day’s play. “The Kookaburra ball tends to get a bit soft and once it gets soft, it doesn’t really swing and you try to look for reverse swing. The SG gets scuffed up really quick and it’s a really hard ball to maintain. But the Dukes ball is really a test of skill. Once you can get the wrist position right and hone in on your area, you can be very successful with this ball. Having bowled with it now, I hope I bowl with it for many, many years.”Ngidi had never used the Dukes ball in a Test match before, having not played any Tests in England or in the Caribbean before this tour. He did have access to it when practising in South Africa and said the training group was “trying everything to control that ball,” and showed off the results of their persistence inside two sessions on the first day.South Africa dismissed West Indies for 97, for their second sub-100 total since 2004, through a combination of aggression and discipline that Ngidi explained could be difficult to get right in favourable conditions. “You can get carried away, especially when it’s nipping around and swinging like that,” he said.In the morning session, South Africa were anything but over-excited by conditions. While Kagiso Rabada and Ngidi kept the brakes on West Indies, Anrich Nortje tore through the top order. “My role definition has been very clear – it’s been to make sure I keep one end quiet. We do have some really quick bowlers and a lot of batsmen were struggling with them so for me to give them nothing was part of the plan,” Ngidi said.Related

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His morning’s work was seven overs for 10 runs and he returned after lunch to take five wickets for nine runs, having changed ends in between whiles. “I felt more comfortable from the other end and my rhythm clicked,” he said. “It’s been a work in progress. I had to work very hard in the gym, on fitness, and the most important thing was the skill side of things and being able to swing the ball away from batters.”Ngidi celebrated his second five-for with an emotional gesture to the heavens and then settled in to watch West Indies’ enjoy some, albeit not the same, success. Teenage debutant Jayden Seales, playing in just his second first-class match, took 3 for 34 and Ngidi was particularly impressed with his performance. “I was keeping a close eye on him. His seam presentation is what I tried to do when we were bowling,” Ngidi said. “He has got a great wrist behind the ball, a very clean action and it seems like he can run in all day, so he is a danger. It’s a very exciting future for the West Indies with him in the line-up.”South Africa will hope it’s not too exciting, just yet. Their lead of 31 is still some way behind what Ngidi thinks could be match-winning, especially on a surface that will continue to suit the quicks. “On this wicket you are never really in. Maybe a lead of 150-200, we’ll take that,” he said. “But it’s still moving around a bit so any lead we can get, we will take as bowlers.”

Ollie Pope has been dropped while Chris Woakes is out with a thigh strain. Virat Kohli, meanwhile, has confirmed that R Ashwin is fully fit

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan29-Aug-20185:46

Compton: England top-order lacks backbone

Big Picture

This series feels very alive. India are coming off one of their finest wins outside Asia while England have previously shown that when stung by defeat, and criticism, they have it in them to bounce back on home soil. The next few days at the Ageas Bowl promise much.There has already been talk about whether Virat Kohli’s team can emulate Don Bradman’s 1936-37 Australian side in coming back from 2-0 down to take the series 3-2. That is better left for next week and the build-up to The Oval should India manage to square the series here. And what a conclusion that would set up.First they need to back up Trent Bridge with a performance of similar fortitude and skill. Having twice got their selection wrong in the opening two Tests, there is now a well-balanced feel to the line-up: the return of Jasprit Bumrah made a significant difference to the pace attack and though the openers didn’t score heavily in Nottingham they played their part. It all means there is a good chance of Kohli naming an unchanged XI for the first time in his captaincy.For England most of the attention is centered around the misfiring top order. Jonny Bairstow has been cleared to play as a batsman, but time is running short for some of them to deliver a match-shaping innings. Joe Root needs to define a contest like his opposite number – it is more than a year since his last Test century.In the wake of the defeat at Trent Bridge, it was easy to lose sight of the fact it is England who remain 2-1 up. Last year they responded to a thrashing against South Africa, also at Trent Bridge, to clean up in the next two matches. A similar response this week and, regardless of the persistent issues, it will be a notable feather in Root’s cap to have beaten the No. 1 Test side. However, victory for India and that dip at a very special comeback will be a step closer.

Form guide

England LWWWL (last five Tests, most recent first)
India WLLWW

In the spotlight

Four years ago Alastair Cook came to the Ageas Bowl at one of his lowest ebbs. He was horribly out of form and India had inflicted a heavy defeat at Lord’s to go 1-0 up. In one of those sliding-doors moments, Cook was dropped at slip on 15 and went on to make a gusty 95 in what became a handsome England win. What Cook, now back in the ranks, would give for a little bit of that luck and a similar score this time. He will have the last two Tests of the series regardless of what happens at the Ageas Bowl, but further low scores would create huge pressure on him at The Oval.India didn’t need R Ashwin to play a massive role at Trent Bridge because of the impact of the seamers and it’s probably a good job given the problem he had with his hip. But India can’t bank on Hardik Pandya taking five wickets all the time so Ashwin may be needed in both an attacking and defensive role. At the beginning of the series he bowled beautifully at Edgbaston – perhaps as well as he ever has overseas – but the conditions at Lord’s then his injury have given him a bit-part role since. There is still time for him to have a major say in the series.Getty Images

Team news

Root again confirmed his team a day out. Bairstow’s finger has healed enough for him to retain a place as a batsman, moving up to No.4, but the gloves go to Jos Buttler. Sam Curran has replaced Chris Woakes, who has a thigh strain, while Moeen Ali comes in for Ollie Pope whose two Test matches came batting at No. 4 – a position he had never occupied in first-class cricket.England: 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Keaton Jennings, 3 Joe Root (capt), 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonKohli confirmed that Ashwin has fully recovered from his hip niggle. This means there’s a chance of India naming an unchanged XI. However, Kohli has also predicted plenty of help for the spinners as the match wears on, which opens up the possibility of Ravindra Jadeja coming in as second spinner, perhaps in place of Mohammed Shami.India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Rishabh Pant (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Mohammed Shami/Ravindra Jadeja, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

The pitch had a tinge of green but is expected to be a bat-first surface albeit with a challenging first session for the batsmen. Spin can come into play at the ground – Moeen took a six-wicket haul in the fourth innings in 2014 – but the pitch is not expected to change character quickly. The forecast is for a dry and mild five days, if the match lasts that long.

Stats and Trivia

• James Anderson needs seven wickets to overtake Glenn McGrath as the most prolific pace bowler in Test history. Anderson has 11 wickets at an average of 19.45 in two Tests at the Ageas Bowl.
• Virat Kohli is six runs away from 6000 Test runs. Only nine Indian players have scored more than 6000 Test runs. And he is 104 away from 4000 runs as captain, with only nine players having scored that many as captain.
• Ishant Sharma needs one wicket to reach 250 in Tests

Quotes

“We’ve bounced back from difficult defeats before and that’s the challenge for us to do it again here.”
“England would want to come back strongly. We understand that and we will have to be even better with what we did in Nottingham to be able to get results our way.”

At the end of the second day, Yorkshire were 233 runs in arrears with nine wickets standing and facing a battle to save the match

Paul Edwards at Headingley11-Apr-2013
ScorecardSussex captain Ed Joyce led by example•Getty Images

This was a day when Sussex viewed the loss of wickets as necessary tariffs to be paid on the pathway to greater prosperity. Like TE Lawrence’s dreamers of the day, they sought to make their wishes reality by bold strategem and admirable risk-taking. It worked, too.Beginning the morning on 104 for 3, a lead of eight, Joyce’s men added 252 runs in 51.5 overs to be bowled out for 356. They then removed Alex Lees, caught at slip by Chris Jordan off Steve Magoffin for 4, before bad light and rain ended play 34 overs early. Already, just two days into the County Championship season, Yorkshire’s batsmen are 233 runs in arrears and face an interesting test of their technique and resolve in the top tier of English cricket. The forecast for tomorrow may predict dull weather but the sport on view at Headingley should be gripping.There was scarcely a moment in Thursday’s play when Sussex did not try to seize the game by its very throat. Rory Hamilton-Brown set the tone in the first hour by spanking five boundaries in a breezy 26 and Joe Gatting made 20 off 23 balls before he skied Azeem Rafiq’s first ball to wide mid-off where Jack Brooks ran round to take a good catch.Sussex’s tactics were plain. With bad weather predicted – it didn’t arrive until 3.45pm – the batsmen were intent on taking every chance to force the pace and establish a large lead. This approach was best expressed by the batting of Ed Joyce and Ben Brown, who added 120 in 23 overs either side of lunch as the Yorkshire attack was eviscerated. Joyce, who insofar as the innings needed an anchor had done the job, made 92 off 140 balls before he edged Brooks to slip. He deserved a century but not as much as Brown, whose batting was something of a revelation.The Sussex wicketkeeper hit 14 fours, some of them sublime, on his way to 93 and three figures seemed his for the taking when a full delivery from Brooks rattled the ash. Yorkshire were encouraged by these successes and Brooks celebrated by having Jordan lbw next ball. But by then the lead was over 200; Sussex were over the hills and far away as far as the match was concerned. The loss of the last five wickets for 38 runs still left Joyce’s bold adventurers with a first-innings lead of 260.It was an interesting day for Rafiq, who conceded 70 runs in his 15 overs, and even more so for Yorkshire’s Championship debutant Brooks. The ex-Northamptonshire seamer’s first 9.4 overs in the innings cost 60 runs; he then took four wickets in 15 balls at a cost of 15 runs and finished with 4 for 76 off 13 overs. At least he stuck at it but it was interesting to compare his figures to those of the admirable Ryan Sidebottom, who took 4 for 72 in 21.5 overs.At the end of the day Brooks was talking with conviction about Yorkshire chances of winning the game if they “bat long”. “Really?” the sceptical Leeds crowd might reply in unison. Most White Rose diehards would be very happy with a draw on Saturday evening. Unless a lot of weather intervenes, even that would be a significant achievement. But this is Headingley after all and perhaps Brooks will be celebrating his four wickets with a bottle of the ’81 this evening.

Australia’s captain and selector Michael Clarke has flatly denied reports that Brad Haddin’s Test career has been terminated, opening the way for his younger rival Matthew Wade to take the gloves for the first Test of the summer

Daniel Brettig15-Oct-2012Australia’s captain and selector Michael Clarke has flatly denied reports that Brad Haddin’s Test career has been terminated, opening the way for his younger rival Matthew Wade to take the gloves for the first Test of the summer against South Africa in Brisbane.Clarke and the rest of the selection panel, comprising the national selector John Inverarity, the coach Mickey Arthur, Rod Marsh and Andy Bichel, met in Sydney on Monday afternoon following Cricket Australia’s season launch for a planning meeting. However Clarke was adamant that no decision had been made on whether Haddin would reclaim the Test place he gave up for personal reasons in the West Indies earlier this year.”I’m one of five selectors and if you’re asking me as a selector that’s completely false, it hasn’t been discussed,” Clarke said. “It obviously is a topic for discussion and will be spoken about over the next couple of weeks that’s for sure. It’s probably one of the most important decisions that needs to be made leading up to the first Test match, and whoever gets left out it is going to be tough on them.”Not only have they both performed at the highest level, Hadds has a lot of experience and has been successful over a long period of time, Wadey’s done every single thing in his power to make the most of his opportunity – he got a hundred in his last Test match. So it’s going to be a tough decision. I know the selectors and I will be discussing that over the next couple of weeks.”We need to talk about it, the selection panel need to talk about it. We need to see both sides, and we’ll pick the best XI for that game, that opposition, those conditions. That’s the only way you can do it. It’s not personal, it’s about what we think is the best team for that first Test.”It has been a tough time for Hadds – any single one of us would’ve made the exact same decision that Brad did in regards to going home and making sure he was there to support his family. He certainly knows how I feel about that and I have openly supported him on that.”The other side is Matthew Wade cannot do anything more to be selected for that first Test. He has performed as well as any player, he has made the most of his opportunities, he’s an amazing talent, and he’s going to be a big player for Australian cricket over a long period of time.”Since his early exit from the Caribbean, Haddin has undergone a full pre-season with New South Wales and made a century for the Blues in their Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania at Bankstown Oval before flying to South Africa to lead the Sydney Sixers in the Twenty20 Champions League. Wade, meanwhile, had his struggles on the ODI tour of England and had limited batting opportunities in the UAE and Sri Lanka, though he kept soundly throughout.However a match-turning innings of 89 for Victoria against Queensland on a lively Gabba pitch last week may prove pivotal in the duel for the keeping spot, as Wade demonstrated his capacity for making runs in the sort of pace-friendly environment likely to be relished by South Africa’s vaunted trio of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander next month.Ricky Ponting, having watched Haddin’s entire Test career from up close, said the 35-year-old still had plenty to offer, but acknowledged the difficulty of the decision. “There are arguments for both at the moment, Hadds is a great mate of mine and we’ve got lots of off-field memories,” Ponting said. “I saw him up close and personal a couple of weeks ago in the Shield game in Bankstown and he played beautifully, hit the ball really well and kept very, very well.”So I know his game’s in really good shape. Then you look at Matty Wade, he has really grabbed his opportunity, made a brilliant hundred in the Caribbean, he has had a great game up in Brisbane last week, so there are two great arguments to be put there as far as selection is concerned. Every Australian side that’s picked, there are always a few guys who think they’re unlucky or hard done by, and one of those two guys is going to miss selection for Brisbane.”I’ve got no doubt in my mind that Hadds has a lot to offer, and I saw it up close in that Shield game. I don’t think anyone will be writing Brad off, he’s a great character to have around the team, and he’s an unbelievable talent with bat and gloves.”The most influential voice at the selection table may well be that of Marsh, the former gloveman who has worked extensively with Haddin in the past. More recently Marsh was a tour mentor for Wade, spending plenty of time with the younger man on the West Indies tour as he fought an ultimately successful battle to adapt to extremely unfamiliar and challenging conditions for both wicketkeeping and batting.

A round-up of the matches in the One-Day National Cup 2012, Division Two

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-2012Usman Arshad rescued Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) with a steady, unbeaten 70, leading them to a four-wicket victory against Peshawar Panthers at the Arbab Niaz Stadium.Having chosen to field, SNGPL managed to dismiss Peshawar for 179, with Asad Ali and Raza Ali Dar taking 4 for 38 and 3 for 30 respectively. Mohamamd Rizwan (65) and Gauhar Ali (31) were the only batsmen to make contributions of note to the Peshawar total.Peshawar, however, were strong at the start of the defence, reducing SNGPL to 30 for 5. Adnan Akmal, Azeem Ghumman and Ali Waqas were dismissed for a duck. But Arshad, along with Raza Ali (36) and Yasir Shah (35) ensured victory with 18 balls to spare. Riaz Afridi and Waqar Ahmed took two wickets each for Peshawar.SNGPL have finished their league matches, winning two and losing two to earn four points. Peshawar, despite losing this game, are at the top of table with four points and one match to go.

Tasmania took firm control against Western Australia at the WACA, bowling them out for 160 courtesy a six-wicket haul from Luke Butterworth

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2011
ScorecardTasmania took firm control of their Sheffield Shield encounter against Western Australia at the WACA in Perth on day one, bowling them out for 160 courtesy a six-wicket haul from Luke Butterworth, before ending the day on 79 for no loss.Being made to field by Marcus North, Tasmania made early inroads as Butterworth picked up two wickets in the sixth over to leave Western Australia at 2 for 10. The hosts never recovered, losing wickets in rapid succession. A 35-run stand for the ninth wicket was the best partnership they could manage in the innings. Butterworth’s 6 for 51 is his best effort in first-class cricket. He’s the leading wicket-taker in the competition.Tasmania’s openers Nick Kruger and Ed Cowan got their side off to a solid start, remaining not out at stumps. Just the start to the match Tasmania were looking for, as an outright win here should guarantee them a spot in the final.

New South Wales survived a massive scare in the form of Trinidadian Kieron Pollard to post their first win in the 2010-11 Big Bash, over South Australia in Adelaide

The Bulletin by Alex Malcolm04-Jan-2011ScorecardDavid Warner had to go against his natural instinct but his steady 73 may have been the difference between the two sides•Getty Images

New South Wales survived a massive scare in the form of Trinidadian Kieron Pollard to post their first win in the 2010-11 Big Bash, over South Australia in Adelaide. The Blues had the game on ice when the Redbacks slumped to 6 for 53 in pursuit of their target of 169.Left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe ripped through the hosts top order claiming 3 for 4 in his first two overs after captain Stuart Clark called on him in the fourth over because Doug Bollinger’s fist over had gone for 17.Pollard and Aaron O’Brien were left to salvage a sinking Redbacks ship, needing 115 from 66 deliveries with just four wickets in hand. Pollard began a typical pyrotechnics display, the kind of which has made him a Twenty20 gun for hire around the world. In the 12th over he ruined O’Keefe’s figures with two massive blows, one was miscued straight down the ground, the other caught in the crowd at long-off, beyond the longest boundary in Australia.When O’Brien was stumped from a wide two overs later, the last rites were expected to be delivered but Pollard launched a savage assault on allrounder Moises Henriques. The over cost 29, the West Indian responsible for 23 of them, reaching 50 in 22 balls and pulling the equation back to just 38 off 30.Henriques had the last laugh though. With Pollard looking to climb over long-on in the next over, he leapt high to claim an extraordinary catch, reminiscent of John Dyson, as Pollard fell metres short of his sixth six. Henriques also claimed the winning catch in Nathan Hauritz’s next over to seal the Blues win.Earlier NSW set a competitive total of 5 for 168 after winning the toss. The innings was anchored by an unusually subdued David Warner who made 73 not out from 58 balls with just one six and seven fours.He wrestled with his timing throughout and played second fiddle to his opening partner Daniel Smith who clubbed 45 at the top. NSW lost quick wickets in the middle as spinners O’Brien and debutant Nathan Lion tied things down but Warner’s effort to go against instinct and hang tough might have proved the difference in the end.

A round-up of the first day of the third-round matches of Division Two of the Quaid-E-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2010Left-arm spinner Yasim Murtaza and left-arm seamer Saad Altaf gave Pakistan Television the upper hand against Karachi Whites at the National Stadium in Karachi. The pair bagged nine wickets between them, Murtaza bagging his second five-for, as Karachi folded for 307. The hosts will be disappointed for going on to score something substantial, as three of their batsmen went past a half-century but none was able to convert it to three-figures. Opener and captain Khalid Latif made 91, Asif Zakar chipped in with 65 and supported Latif in a 122-run second-wicket stand while Asim Kamal, who has represented Pakistan, made 80. Karachi were going strong at 249 for 4 but lost their last six wickets for 58 as Murtaza and Altaf turned the tables. In reply, Pakistan Television were 4 without loss.The first day of the third-round contest between Hyderabad and State Bank of Pakistan at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad harkened back to the days of first-class cricket in the 1980s and 1990s. Only 179 runs were scored by Hyderabad in 84 overs, and just two wickets lost. Opener Azeem Ghumman, who led Pakistan in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, batted out the day for an unbeaten 73. He helped his team recover from an early loss, adding 86 with Aqeel Anjum and a further, unbeaten 79 with Rizwan Ahmed who is going strong with 48.Table-toppers Abbottabad, who have two wins from two games, put themselves in control against Lahore Ravi at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Opener Waqar Orakzai, playing his sixth first-class game, scored his maiden century and remained unbeaten to guide his team to 227 for 1 at stumps. Orazkai, who struck 13 fours, was assisted in an 81-run opening stand by Ghulam Mohammad, and Zia-ul-Haq batted patiently, consuming 193 balls for his unbeaten 48.Half-centuries from Hamza Paracha and Usman Salahuddin ensured the first day at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground went Lahore Shalimar‘s way in their contest against bottom-placed Quetta. Opener Paracha top-scored with 85, supported by handy contributions from everyone else who followed. His opening partner Mohammad Hamza made 31 in a 60-run stand, Rana Adan helped add a further 48 while Salahuddin, who finished the day on 65 not out, took the total to 238 for 3 at stumps.A collective bowling effort from Khan Research Laboratories helped them bowl Peshawar out for 242 at the Sports Complex in Mardan. Nazir grabbed four wickets while each of the other bowlers took at least a wicket to strike at regular intervals. There was resistance from No.3 batsman Mohammad Fayyaz, who made 49, and chiefly from Sajjad Ahmed who top-scored with 65. At 112 for 6, though, it seemed Peshawar would fold for a score less than 200 but Riaz Afridi, with 44, helped them go past that mark. In a first-class game, KRL also bowled 23 wides, part of an extras tally of 36. In response, KRL lost an early wicket, Saeed Anwar jnr trapped in front by Afridi for zero.

Dale Richards, the Barbados opener, has said he will be under no pressure when he faces the new ball in the third Test against South Africa at Bridgetown

Cricinfo staff25-Jun-2010Dale Richards, the 33-year-old opener from Barbados, has said he has “nothing to lose” and will be under no pressure when he faces the new ball in the third Test against South Africa at Bridgetown, beginning on June 26.Richards is one of only two openers in West Indies’ 13-man squad and is certain to play his third Test – his first against top-flight opposition. Richards’ first two Test opportunities were against Bangladesh in 2009, when several first-choice players went on strike.”I only have two Test matches under my belt but at the end of the day, at 33 years old, there is nothing to lose. It’s just about getting out there and doing my bits,” Richards said. “A lot of people write off a lot of guys at 30 but I think when you get to that age, you understand batting more. I don’t go in the game with any sort of pressure.”Richards was included in the squad at the expense of Guyana opener Travis Dowlin, who scored only 4, 1 and 10 in three innings during the first two Tests. Richards had played a part in the ODI series against South Africa and scored 157 runs at an average of 39.25, with two half-centuries in four innings.”In the Digicel one-day series I backed myself and batted positively,” Richards said. “This is Test cricket so I need to spend some time at the top of the order along with Chris [Gayle], but I think we should come out and play some very positive cricket. Some positive cricket will really help the people in the Caribbean.”West Indies trail 0-1 in the three-Test series and the Barbados contest is their final opportunity to salvage a win in the home series against the South Africans. Gayle’s men lost the Twenty20 series 0-2, the ODIs 0-5 and drew the second Test after losing the first by 163 runs.

A review of the fourth round of games in the 2009-10 Plunket Shield

Cricinfo staff06-Dec-2009Central Districts beat Canterbury with a day to spare to get their first success of the Plunket Shield in Rangiora. Having enforced the follow-on, CD bowled Canterbury out for 180, a lead of 26, and knocked off the runs without fuss. The openers Peter Ingram and Jamie How needed just 3.5 overs to chase down the required 27.The win was put in motion by a first-innings score of 325, aided by How’s 90 and 50 from Mathew Sinclair. Sinclair followed that fine innings by taking a career-best 3 for 29 in Canterbury’s first innings and added another on the final day of the match. Michael Mason wrecked Canterbury in their second innings, taking 5 for 42 to make it seven for the game. Ewen Thompson and Seth Rance took five and four wickets in the match respectively. Canterbury’s failure to notch up significant partnerships in either innings hurt them.Dermot Reeve, CD’s coach, was very pleased after the win. “We did well to get over 300 runs and we took all our catches. It was pleasing to see the fielders backing up the bowlers,” he told NZPA. “Mathew’s under-rated with the ball, he bowls a nagging line and length and hits the seam and on certain pitches he can do a good job with the ball.”Otago surged to their first win of the tournament with a nine-wicket win over Wellington in Queenstown. Wellington took early control of the match by declaring at 391 for 6, thanks largely to Stewart Rhodes’ unbeaten 142 on debut, but centuries from Neil Broom and Sam Wells carried the hosts to 471 for 9. After that dominant batting force, Otago’s bowlers bowled Wellington out for 203 in 62.2 overs. Only the opener Josh Brodie, who followed his first-innings 76 with 70, and Lance Woodcock (47) did much in the second innings. Set a target of 124, Otago eased home by nine wickets. The captain Craig Cumming hit an unbeaten 53 and was partnered to victory by Shaun Haig, who made 52 from 65 balls. With this win, Otago took maximum points and joined Central Districts on 10 points in fourth place.A rain-affected affair at Colin Maiden Park went Northern Districts’ way after they beat hosts Auckland by 55 runs. Two and a half days of play were lost to rain and the two captains, James Marshall and Gareth Hopkins, tried force a result. Resuming their first innings at 82 for 0 on the fourth morning, ND quickly posted 290 for 3 before declaring. Hopkins forfeited Auckland’s first innings and Marshall reciprocated by forfeiting his side’s second innings, leaving Auckland 291 to achieve their first win. It was not to be, with Graeme Aldridge (4 for 67) and Brent Arnel (3 for 52) running through the line-up. Hopkins’ 22nd first-class half-century was snapped when he went lbw to Arnel, and with that went Auckland’s chances at winning.ND’s attempt at racking up quick runs were aided by BJ Watling’s 136 off 169 balls. He and Brad Wilson (47) put on 101 runs for the first wicket, after which Marshall came to the middle and helped add 50 in 51 balls. This was ND’s third of the season and kept them on top of the standings with 26 points, 12 ahead of Wellington in second with six rounds to go.