A rained-off abandonment in a top-of-the-table clash with the Devon Hotel Central Stags at Hagley Oval was all it took today for undefeated Canterbury to qualify top for Saturday's Ford Trophy Qualifying Finals — with a round to spare.
Drizzle cut short a match that was a notable statistical double for two senior Canterbury statesmen: captain Andy Ellis (100th List A game overall) and Peter Fulton (100th List A game for Canterbury).
It was also a damp List A debut for Cantabrians Henry Shipley and Ken McClure.
After waiting for the unseasonal gloom to clear, a reduced 39-over game got underway briefly after lunch, Ellis unsurprisingly electing to bowl in the misty conditions.
The Stags' urgency to put runs on the board in light of a possible Duckworth Lewis Stern calculation saw them aggressively hurtle to 110/4 before the match was called off in the 19th over, each side claiming two points from the rain's return.
The situation called for more heaves than leaves
The result could allow Stags captain Will Young to at least smile about his exit, having been caught short after losing his balance in the slippery conditions.
George Worker had meanwhile slaughtered four boundaries before being snaffled by Tom Latham in the slips for a whirlwind start, against a fresh Canterbury attack minus Ed Nuttall (who has a shin niggle) and Todd Astle (BLACKCAPS call up), and with batsman Henry Nicholls away on his sojourn with Sydney Thunder.
Canterbury will head into this Wednesday's round eight still unbeaten, an unassailable 27 points securing them a home 1 v 2 Qualifying Final on the weekend — the winner of which will proceed direct to the 30 January Grand Final.
Canterbury travels to Mount Maunganui to effectively have a practice run against the SKYCITY Northern Knights, who will desperately need the win. Meanwhile the Stags take on the Mondiale Auckland Aces at Eden Park Outer Oval in a shootout to finish as second to top qualifier in the round robin.
