ROUND THREE OF EIGHT
CANTERBURY beat OTAGO VOLTS by an innings and 29 runs
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
5-8 November, 2022
Toss: Canterbury who bowled
First innings bonus points: Canterbury 4 bowling, 4 batting (maximum achieved)
Otago Volts 1 batting, 2 bowling
Total points this round: Canterbury 20, Otago Volts 3
Selected Milestones
Matt Henry 18th first-class five-wicket bag
Cole McConchie 7th first-class century
Cole McConchie maiden first-class double century and career-best score
Mitch Hay career-best score
Henry Shipley career-best score
DAY FOUR
Canterbury entered the final day at Hagley Oval needing five wickets to go clear at the top of the table after three rounds; the Otago Volts meanwhile had to hold on to them if they were to survive and stay unbeaten.
By lunch, three of those precious wickets had fallen, the Volts 211/8 and needing 52 runs to make Canterbury bat again.
Michael Rippon was in the middle on 60*, in partnership with Jacob Duffy who had fought for exactly an hour before the lunch break for 23*.
Gone was Travis Muller who became Matt Henry's third victim of the innings without adding to his overnight score, and Jake Gibson and Hamish Rutherford as Will O'Rourke put himself on an unconverted hat-trick.
Rutherford hadn't opened the innings due to a stomach bug and was instead at nine, his unfortunate game no better for a first-baller.
Lunch only delayed the inevitable, with Canterbury wrapping up the big southern derby soon afterwards for an innings victory - staying unbeaten, and moreover, staying at the top of the table.
Henry finished the game off with 4-68 and O'Rourke a career best 3-42, Henry Shipley having accounted for Duffy with his brace.
DAY THREE
It was a landmark day for Canterbury captain Cole McConchie as he registered his maiden first-class double ton, at the perfect location - his home ground of Hagley Oval.
McConchie's star has been rising in recent seasons and his career-best 214 followed an unbeaten 187* last summer at McLean Park. Today, he reached the 11th highest individual score in Canterbury's long first-class history.
For almost seven hours he held court at Hagley, sharing in consecutive century stands - first with Mitch Hay as the pair put on a mighty 193 for the fifth wicket. Keeper-batsman Hay, making the most of his opportunities in the absence of injured Cam Fletcher, achieved his own career best knock with a 76 over three hours.
When Jacob Duffy finally got the fifth wicket at 355/5, the highly capable allrounder from the country Henry Shipley came in and posted the third career-best score of the innings for the red and blacks.
Shipley reached 82 off just 96 balls, making it a 117-run stand for the sixth with McConchie.
Hay enjoyed a couple of sixes and Shipley hit three, while McConchie finished with 29 boundaries in his epic knock before he finally feathered a top edge whilst trying to sweep Dean Foxcroft, heading back in with a fine 214 by his name.
His lower order went on to stretch Canterebury's first innings tally from 472/6 to 511, taking the full suite of bonus points in the process.
Trailing by 263 on the first innings, the Otago Volts now had a huge amount of work to do themselves if they were to maintain their unbeaten status. However, they would lose their first five second-innings wickets before they had even put a hundred runs on the tins.
It was a sobering afternoon for the Volts who had been 62 without loss before Matt Henry broke through with his first wicket (Dale Phillips), and then sending Foxcroft packing as well.
Shipley, Will O'Rourke and Gus McKeanzie then all got in on the action to have the Volts 199/5, still trailing overall by 164 runs.
DAY TWO
Midway through the big clash at Hagley Oval, Canterbury had manouevred their way into a strong position against their southern neighbours.
With six wickets still in reserve, Canterbury held a first-innings lead of 71 by stumps, and were on course to pocket the maximum eight out of eight bonus points to boot.
The day had begun with Matt Henry (5-45) swooping in for the last two Otago wickets he had needed for a bag, before Will O'Rourke wrapped up the innings at 248 in 109.3 overs.
All images: PHOTOSPORT
The Volts had early cheer in reply as Michael Rae removed Chad Bowes with just his second delivery.
Then the big wicket of Tom Latham (above) fell at 67/2 when Muller barged one through to have the BLACKCAP caught behind.
Henry Nicholls steadied the ship and reached 64 before Muller struck again.
But that was almost the end of the Otago celebrations for some considerable time, as Canterbury captain Cole McConchie and Mitch Hay set about a fifth-wicket stand that would balloon to 157 runs.
By stumps, McConchie was still going strong, unbeaten overnight on 142* after four and a half hours at the office.
Keeper-batsman Mitch Hay was along for the ride on 61 not out, the youngster with his third half century in support.
It summed up the Volts' day that a five-run penalty had been awarded to Canterbury in the 30th over for the ball striking a fielding helmet. Earlier in the day, they'd been dismissed just two runs shy of a second batting bonus. Things weren't going their way, and the Volts knew they would need to strike early in the morning.
DAY ONE
Canterbury and the Otago Volts have impressed as the early movers in the Plunket Shield championship. Now the unbeaten teams went head-to-head in Canterbury's first home match at Hagley Oval.
In the top-of-the-table clash, the Otago Volts were sent in after Canterbury captain Cole McConchie won the toss and immediately suffered an early setback with the quick loss of Hamish Rutherford.
Fraser Sheat had made the breakthrough and it was soon followed by joy for Matt Henry as well, who trapped Dale Phillips for single figures.
By lunch, the Volts had inched their way from 12/2 to 83/4 in a tough morning session, and reached 150/6 by tea thanks to a knock of 47 from Dean Foxcroft.
But Foxcroft was a big wicket in the session, done by Gus McKenzie after almost two hours in the middle.
It rejuvenated Canterbury's efforts in the afternoonbut Max Chu (36, above) and Michael Rippon (59) fought back with a 67-run stand for the sixth wicket.
By stumps, the Volts were 217/7, the set pair gone and needing their tail to wag yet again on the next morning.
Henry had continued his good early season form with 3-38 overnight.
