Dean Brownlie. Image: Photosport

Racking up Runs

Posted Thursday, 17 November, 2016 in Match Reports

DAY FOUR

End of match — Northern Districts 110/5 (Corey Anderson 46*; Lockie Ferguson 3-19) drew with the Auckland Aces on Thursday, 17 November 2016 at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

Northern Districts remains atop the Plunket Shield ladder after rain ensured that there would be no outright result at Bay Oval.

Requiring quick runs and an aggressive declaration for there to be a chance of a result, any hopes soon disappeared when the rain came down early in the day – one of five rain delays during the day.

Scorecard

For most of the day, it was the Auckland Aces who looked the most likely to be able to force a result, picking up early wickets against a Northern line-up missing opener Anton Devcich.

Without Devcich, Bharat Popli was inserted to open the batting, but he fell victim to an in-swinger from Lockie Ferguson which dismantled his stumps. Fellow opener Dean Brownlie suffered the same fate, unable to back up his classy first-innings century.

Corey Anderson was, however, able to back up his first-innings runs, following his 103 with a more sedate 46 not out. He anchored the innings as wickets fell around him and combined with Daryl Mitchell for a partnership of 63 which steered ND away from danger, before Mitchell became the third victim to have his bails removed, this time by Cody Andrews.

From 78/2, ND fell to 83/5 – Martin Guptill snaffling two catches at second slip as the Aces started to fancy their chances of ripping through the tail. However, Joe Walker stuck around with Anderson for 48 balls, and as the rain came so did the end of the contest; both sides settling for a draw.

ND collected the full eight bonus points from the clash to continue to lead the competition on 48 points, 13 points clear of the Aces, who sit in second place – one point ahead of the Wellington Firebirds who now have a game in hand after their round four match against the Central Stags was called off due to the earthquake.  

ND visit the Stags in Napier next Tuesday for round five, while the Aces are set to take on Canterbury in Rangiora.

A photo posted by BayOval (@bayoval) on

DAY THREE

Northern Districts 417/7 declared (Dean Brownlie 143; Lockie Ferguson 3-70, Tarun Nethula 3-99) and 0/0 lead the Auckland Aces, 348 (Martin Guptill 151, Colin Munro 32, Mark Chapman 33, Tarun Nethula 32*; Scott Kuggeleijn 3-84, Daryl Mitchell career-best 4-39) at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui on Wednesday 16 November 2016

First innings batting bonus points, Northern Districts 4, Aces 3 (completed)
First innings bowling bonus points, Aces 3, Northern Districts 4 (completed)

A blistering century from Martin Guptill highlighted an action-packed third day encounter between the Auckland Aces and Northern Districts. Guptill blasted 151 off 138 balls for his second consecutive century in the Plunket Shield, smoking 20 fours and four sixes in a dominant display — having strolled to the crease after a Northern Districts declaration before lunch.

Scorecard

A photo posted by BayOval (@bayoval) on

ND took all four batting points on offer by reaching 417/7, but, after having carried his bat through Day One and watching Day Two be rained out, Dean Brownlie couldn’t add to his score of 143 once he resumed his innings – caught in the gully off the bowling of Lockie Ferguson.

Joe Walker departed for a duck soon after, but aggressive hitting from Scott Kuggeleijn and Ish Sodhi easily saw ND past 400. Kuggeleijn struck nine boundaries in an unbeaten 53, while Sodhi scored 28 of his 31 runs through boundaries as the pair added a rapid, unbroken stand of 83 for the eighth wicket.

The Aces took up that aggressive batting mindset when they were finally allowed. Led by Guptill's anchoring innings, the Aces' top order all looked to find the rope. Rob Nicol (25 from 32 balls), Mark Chapman (33 from 34), and a typically belligerent Colin Munro knock (32 off 22) saw Auckland’s score at one stage resemble a superb one-day platform: 240/4 off just 38 overs.

The ND bowlers were taking a hammering, all leaking runs at more than five an over, but Scott Kuggeleijn and Daryl Mitchell battled back. Used as a first change, Mitchell found some seam movement to claim a career-best 4-39, and Kuggeleijn's traditional energy, aggression and pace saw him take 3-84.

Their efforts pegged the Aucklanders back, a steady stream of wickets culminating in Sodhi collecting the prized scalp of Guptill, whose innings stands out with no other player reaching 35.

Some late-order hitting got the Aces in sight of four first innings batting points, but they were eventually dismissed just short, on 348 – giving Northern a nice lead of 69 runs.

Unfortunately, the loss of play yesterday, coupled with a patchy forecast tomorrow, leaves a draw looming at the Mount.  

DAY TWO

Rain washing over the country prevented play on day two at Mt Maunganui, opener Dean Brownlie spending a second night unbeaten on 143*. The start time for day three has been confirmed at the earlier time of 10am.

Scorecard

DAY ONE

Northern Districts 324/5 (Dean Brownlie 143 not out, Corey Anderson 103; Tarun Nethula 3-57) v Auckland Aces at Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui on 14 November 2016

First innings batting bonus points, Northern Districts 3 (in progress)
First innings bowling bonus points, Aces 2 (in progress)



Centuries to Dean Brownlie and Corey Anderson put Northern Districts in command on day one — after having been sent in at Bay Oval. The pair showed their international experience, a 158-run partnership for the third wicket having given the hosts the early initiative as they finished the day's play at 324 for five.

Scorecard

Brownlie had carried his bat through a day on which more than 100 runs were scored in each session, the opener sitting on 143 when stumps were pulled. A late addition to the Northern Districts side in this round, Brownlie was meant to have played for New Zealand A against Pakistan in the previous days but, once that game was rained out, he instead took the opportunity to impress the selectors in the domestic realm.

The steady anchor brought up his 13th first-class hundred, fourth for Northern Districts — and second this season by starting out aggressively, reaching 65* by lunch before playing more sedately in the later sessions in his adopted town.

It had all seemed a long time since Aces leg-spinner Tarun Nethula had started his work early with the wickets of Anton Devcich (26) and Bharat Popli (9), but Brownlie had found a foil in Anderson across the middle and last sessions as they racked up the tons, the pair reaching 200/2 on the stroke of tea with an Anderson single off Nethula.

Not having been considered for the BLACKCAPS' Test team as he continues to increase his bowling workload, Anderson showed his batting worth with his fourth first-class century and second for ND. His 103 flew off 131 balls as the traditionally aggressive left-hander struck 16 fours until, shortly after drinks in the last session, he became Nethula's third victim.

The Aces found some success at the end of the day, reducing ND from 289/2 to 307/5 as Lockie Ferguson picked up two quick wickets (Daryl Mitchell and Tim Seifert both falling with the score paused on 307) to go alongside Nethula's three scalps.

There would be no further rash of wickets, though, as Scott Kuggeleijn (2*) joined Brownlie to see out the last overs of the day.

The Aces will have 20 overs with which to pick up more first innings bowling points when play resumes tomorrow, while Northern is set to claim full first-innings batting points, requiring just a further 26 runs in the morning.

• NZC congratulates official scorer Bill Andersson, of Northern Districts, on scoring his 150th first-class match

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