2023/24
ROUND THREE
CANTERBURY defeated AUCKLAND ACES by 8 wickets
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
6-9 November, 2023
First innings points:
Canterbury: 8 (maximum achieved)
Auckland Aces: 3
Total points this round:
Canterbury 20 (maximum achieved)
Auckland Aces: 3
Milestones
Henry Nicholls - 16th first-class century
Zak Foulkes - career best first-class score, maiden half century
All images: PHOTOSPORT
Two Plunket Shield matches, two more first-class hundreds in the bank for batting machine Henry Nicholls as his team made the Auckland Aces pay at Hagley Oval. Both teams had been after their first win of the season, with the result coming on the final afternoon - Canterbury easily ticking off a tame run chase, and only compounding the Aces' slow start to their first-class campaign.
DAY ONE
Along with the Otago Volts, the Auckland Aces and Canterbury had all been still seeking their first win of the national red-ball championship in the third of the eight rounds.
Canterbury was bolstered by the return from a wrist injury of rising paceman Will O'Rourke, and their white-ball BLACKCAP Chad Bowes - the top order batter making his way back into the XI after a preseason bout of pneumonia.
With the weather clear but cool, captain Cole McConchie won the toss at Hagley Oval and elected to bowl, O'Rourke quickly with an early wicket as he sent Sean Solia back to the pavilion in the fifth over at 7/1.
O'Rourke (above), ex-Volt Michael Rae and the young dangerman Zak Foulkes, together with Fraser Sheat and Gus McKenzie, formed a fresh pace group, hunting together as one for the first time. But by lunch, the Aces had inched to 63 for no further loss.
The break brought wickets: three falling in the middle session. Foulkes had struck twice. Left-hand veteran George Worker was meanwhile in the 30s by tea, and went on to top-score with 60 - before a gem from Michael Rippon spun onto his castle.
The pacemen rattled through the tail quickly to have the visitors all out for a middling 217, with a handful of overs remaining in the day.
That was time enough, however, for the Aces to strike back: Bowes' return was a short one as he slammed a catch off Adi Ashok to usher in the end of the day's play at 8/1.
DAY TWO
It was Canterbury's day, all the way.
Fresh off last week's career-best ton against the Otago Volts, BLACKCAP and Canterbury senior pro Henry Nicholls tonned up again at his home deck, Hagley Oval - his 16th first-class century overall.
Nicholls's knock of 120 included a century stand with captain McConchie (44) as the hosts took the first-innings advantage.
The partnership was an especially costly one for the Aces whose captain, part-time golden arm spinner/paceman Robbie O'Donnell, injured himself during it, spinner Louie Delport having to complete the 28th over.
PHOTOSPORT
Canterbury was in a healthy position by stumps, at 321/5, a 104*-run first-innings lead overnight, with wickets in hand - Rippon (46 not out) and Foulkes (56 not out, above) to resume an unbroken 94-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
DAY THREE
Canterbury gained the upper hand after another solid day's work at Hagley Oval.
Overnight batters Foulkes (above) and Rippon duly ticked off the second century partnership of the innings, reaching 105 together, before Foulkes's maiden first-class half ton was ended on 61 by the canny Solia.
Rippon fell 10 overs later, but the damage was largely done. Canterbury would ultimately declare their first innings for a hefty 413/9, for the full suite of eight first innings points, on moving day.
By stumps, the Aces had lost half their batters in their second innings at 168/5, still trailing by 28 runs.
Young Quinn Sunde. with his quick hands, had clung on at first drop with an unbeaten 40*, but he still with a big job to do for his side to stop Canterbury putting the other foot down on the Auckland throat.
Rippon had meanwhile ripped out a trio of big wickets to give his side the advantage, pausing at 3/63 overnight.
DAY FOUR
Another overcast morning greeted the teams, but the local weather was about to play ball on a big, last day for the hosts - the sun burst through on the afternoon.
Once they removed overnight batter Sunde on 45, wickets tumbled quickly for Canterbury, the middle order crushed by Rippon, Rae and Foulkes.
But the Aucklanders did still have an Ace up their sleeve.
Injured captain Robbie O'Donnell had dropped down the order to bat at eight and produced a valiant unbeaten 54*, but no one stayed with him, and the Aces found themselves dismissed for 256.
Having eked out a lead of just 39, it made the Canterbury chase a mere formality, and the sun was streaming.
Bowes again departed early as Simon Keene grabbed a consolation wicket before tea, with 42 runs required in the last session; while Danru Ferns removed Matt Boyle soon after the break.
But Nicholls and McConchie had form.
They would guide last summer's runner-up to victory with ease, after Nicholls survived a big stumping appeal on 26*. Captain McConchie polished it off with the winning boundary.
After their frustration here a week earlier, Canterbury was now well on the board with maximum points, rocketing up the Plunket Shield table with their convincing eight-wicket outright.
