DAY FOUR
End of match — Auckland Aces 378/8 (Michael Guptill-Bunce 70, Rob Nicol 65, Colin de Grandhomme career-best 144 not out off 147; Christi Viljoen 5-101, Neil Wagner 3-58) beat the Otago Volts by two wickets at Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland on 1 November 2016
Round two saw two extraordinary finishes on the final day and this was one of them as the powerful Colin de Grandhomme tore the match away from the Otago Volts with his notorious big hitting.
Scorecard
Colin de Grandhomme plays to the Eden Park fence. Image: Photosport
Having set the Aces a fair chase of 373, tension had already been growing for Volts in the morning session as Michael Guptill-Bunce weathered the early heat from the attacking pace pair of Neil Wagner and Christi Viljoen. Despite the Volts’ batting heroics of the second innings, the visitors had nevertheless headed out to field with that nagging feeling that they hadn’t amassed quite enough of a safety buffer — and when the home side’s stocky opener reached his half century, the Volts’ lead had already shrunk to below 200.
By lunch, the Aces looked in good shape at 226/3, Rob Nicol and Colin de Grandhomme both on the brink of half centuries in the most essential stand of the chase.
Rob Nicol and Colin de Grandhomme leave the field for lunch. Image: Photosport
Their partnership was worth 80 runs at this point — but if the Volts had been hungering for a breakthrough before the interval, they became desperate for one after it. Another dozen overs of damage flowed by before Nicol’s dismissal, on 65, broke what had become, by then, a 143-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Despite the park’s tantalising boundaries in certain quarters, de Grandhomme had been relatively restrained: he hadn’t tonked a single six in his 47 runs before lunch, although Nicol had peeled off a couple for himself as Brad Wilson resorted to his spinners. All that was about to change.
Rob Nicol looks to hit out. Image: Photosport
Having just moved himself into the 90s when partner Nicol was suddenly caught, de Grandhomme responded by murdering Josh Finnie for 20 runs off three balls and, by the time he had lost new batting mate Brad Cachopa, the target was down to just 50 runs, with five wickets and an ocean of overs still in hand.
That wasn’t the end of the fireworks for the day — the Volts still had a chance. Viljoen had made good early headway in the wickets column and, by tea, sat on the cusp of his maiden five-for in New Zealand for his adopted side with 4-84, having already taken seven five-wicket hauls in his career for Namibia.
Six down now, the hosts meanwhile needed 26 further runs as de Grandhomme had stepped it up in the session to belt his interim 120* from just 135 balls for his 10th first-class century.
Viljoen had already knocked over Shawn Hicks’s sticks: now he did the same to Donovan Grobbelaar, then Neil Wagner (3-58) fumed in behind to do the same to Tarun Nethula: a flurry of three very inexpensive wickets, and suddenly the Aces were eight down — still with seven runs left to find. A thriller on the Outer Oval. Could the Volts pull of a miraculous recovery, after all?
Neil Wagner appeals for a wicket. Image: Photosport
The forceful de Grandhomme was having none of it. He sized up Viljoen for one last six — his fifth of the afternoon, smashing the winnings runs with it, finishing unbeaten on his best first-class score, 18 boundaries among his 144 off 147 balls.
Colin de Grandhomme and Dane Hutchinson leave the field victorious. Image: Photosport
It was the defending champions’ first victory of the season, and lifts them to within four points of leaders the Wellington Firebirds. They will feel they are back on track, after the disappointment of Mount Maunganui. The Volts, meanwhile, were left starving for a win after the opening two rounds, somewhat affected by injuries — Michael Bracewell not yet confirmed for round three — and now head home to Dunedin’s University Oval to take on the also-winless Central Stags on Saturday.
The Aces will be back at Eden Park, meanwhile, for round three, ready for a big rematch against the Wellington Firebirds. All games start at 10.30am and entry is free all day, every day throughout the Plunket Shield season.
DAY THREE
At stumps — Auckland Aces 101/2 (Jeet Raval 35, Michael Guptill-Bunce 39*) require 272 on the last day to beat the Otago Volts (353/9, Neil Broom 161, Josh Finnie 60, Neil Wagner 47; Tarun Nethula 4-88, Lockie Ferguson 3-83) at Eden Park Outer Oval on 31 October 2016
First innings batting bonus points, Volts 0; Aces 0 (completed)
First innings bowling bonus points, Aces 4; Volts 4 (completed)
Starting the day within spitting distance of his 18th first-class century, Neil Broom had no intention of letting his mates down.
Scorecard
His captain Brad Wilson noted that the side had headed into the innings determined to stand up in absence of Ryan Duffy — who was confined to the hotel recovering from his concussion.
“We spoke about that in the changing room yesterday,” sais Wilson, “that when someone goes down, everyone has to chip in to make up for that loss.”
Neil Broom plays through the covers. Image: Photosport
Broom and young Josh Finnie had continued ‘chipping in’ on the third morning by taking their third-wicket stand to 112 runs. On 60, Finnie would lose his leg stump to Lockie Ferguson while Broom was poised on 97, Derek de Boorder joining the senior pro on a third-day surface that still clearly had something in it for both bowlers and batsmen.
Broom reached his three figures in style with a boundary off Dane Hutchinson, his 15th ton for the Volts coming from just 158 balls. The other end proved more vulnerable, however, de Boorder soon gone, while Sam Wells was disappointed to fall to a class low dive at slip by Jeet Raval off Shawn Hicks.
Neil Broom celebrates his century. Image: Photosport
Broom seemed unrattled by all the distractions of the morning session and just kept motoring up the runs off the appropriate deliveries. He’d just raised his bat for his 150 when he lost Viljoen, too, having scored all but one of the 15 runs between them.
Broom tonking yet another boundary next ball, the Volts now held a 308-run lead with four wickets in hand — but their soldiers would continue to stand up and be counted in Duffy’s honour. BLACKCAP Neil Wagner added valuable late runs despite a patch of drizzle dampening things down after the lunch break, with a blazing 47 off 35 balls.
He carried the baton for Broom after the latter fell on 161 (off 226 balls, 20 x 4, 3 x 6) — after more than five hours doing the bizzo in the middle. Wagner’s half-century was his seventh in first-class appearances for the Volts, but possibly his most forceful, eight boundaries and a six flying before he provided leg-spinner Tarun Nethula with his second 10-for-the-match (the first having been achieved at this same ground, against the Stags last season).
Tarun Nethula celebrates a wicket. Image: Photosport
Having expanded their 212-run overnight lead to 353/9, the Volts ultimatelty set the Auckland Aces 373 to win — which, even so, might not have been enough for Wilson’s comfort.
The Aces’ reply began positively, Jeet Raval (35) the only wicket to fall before bad light temporarily interrupted play with exactly 300 further runs still required. Players did get back on the field before stumps, former Namibia international Viljoen then striking again to remove Robbie O’Donnell to have the Aces 101/2 by close of play.
Defending champs the Aces will require 272 on the last day if they are to claim the outright points from a cracking encounter and record their first win of the season.
DAY TWO
At stumps — Otago Volts 193/2 (Brad Wilson 35, Neil Broom 92*, Josh Finnie 50*) lead by 212 runs in the second innings. Earlier, Auckland Aces 145 all out (Brad Cachopa 43 not out; Neil Wagner 5-55, Jacob Duffy 3-21) at Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland on 30 October 2016
First innings batting bonus points, Volts 0; Aces 0 (completed)
First innings bowling bonus points, Aces 4; Volts 4 (completed)
There was never a dull moment at Eden Park Outer Oval as the combined talents of BLACKCAP Neil Wagner and fast-rising apprentice Jacob Duffy made life uncomfortable for the local batsmen on day two. In a torrid session and a half, the Aces plummeted from 52/2 overnight to be all out after lunch, the last eight wickets having seen just a further 93 runs added to their total.
Scorecard
Wagner’s searing haul of 5-55 off 15 overs was his 27th first-class five-wicket bag and 15th for the Volts — and delivered maximum bowling points, plus a slender first-innings lead of 19 runs for his side.
If the previous day had belonged to a leggie, now it was very much the pacemen’s stage — with Aces quick Lockie Feguson keen to respond in kind.
He tormented Hamish Rutherford before bowling the left-hander on 15, ushering in Neil Broom coming at first drop in place of Ryan Duffy, who had been struck on the helmet in the first dig.
Broom attacked the Aces’ quick early for his first six of the day over square. As he settled in with first Brad Wilson (35) and then young Josh Finnie, his second six of the day was even more impressive — slaughtering a short ball from Ferguson for his 84-ball half century.
Broom and Finnie combined well and, as stumps drew near, Broom was in sight of both a century stand and his own century. Finnie helped things along by posting his 80-ball 50 with a boundary off Rob Nicol, the Volts taking an ominous 212-run lead into day three still with eight wickets in hand, Broom poised on 92* and his stand with Finnie paused on 95.
DAY ONE
At stumps - Otago 164 all out (Brad Wilson 56, Neil Broom 36, Tarun Nethula 6-36) have a lead of 112 runs over Auckland 52-2 (Jeet Raval 24*, J Duffy 1-11)
Scorecard
Tarun Nethula burst through the Volts batting defences on day one at Eden Park Outer Oval, as the Aces dismissed the visitors for 164 in the first innings.
The 32 year-old Nethula took figures of 6-36, collecting his eighth first-class five wicket bag in the process.
The Aces wickets began with Donovan Grobbelaar dismissing the in-form Hamish Rutherford with the second ball of the match.
Volts number three Ryan Duffy suffered a nasty blow to the helmet from Lachie Ferguson. The heavy blow saw him fall and knock his bails off in the process, but instead of celebrate, the Aces players raced in to check Duffy was ok. Initial reports are Duffy is ok.
Ferguson nearly had Neil Broom the very next ball, who narrowly avoided edging behind on ball one.
The Volts once again leaned on their captain for runs, with Brad Wilson’s 56 the top score – his third time past 50 in as many innings this season.
He would eventually become Nethula’s first victim though, who would then go on a wicket spree, being the main contributor as the Aces took the last eight Volts wickets for 54 runs.
The Aces reached 52-2 in reply by stumps, with Jeet Raval and Rob Nicol to resume on day two.
Raval has time to clock up one milestone in that time, reaching 5000 First Class runs.
