ROUND FIVE • 2022/23
Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington
14 December 2022
Northern Districts beat Wellington Firebirds by 33 runs
Selected milestones
Vinit Mahna: List A umpiring debut
Tim Seifert (Northern Districts): second List A century
Northern Districts: highest total against Wellington Firebirds (381)
Northern Districts: 2nd highest total against all teams
Scott Johnston: maiden List A wickets
Wellington Firebirds: highest total against Northern Districts (348)
Northern Districts made their move, a staggering performance and high-scoring contest with the Wellington Firebirds pushing them up to equal top points with Canterbury and the Central Stags.
Tim Seifert starred, blasting his second Ford Trophy century.
All images: PHOTOSPORT
His 103 off just 87 deliveries featured eight boundaries and six sixes, in crisp touch and a belligerent mood as he underpinned a 160-run opening stand for ND that threatened to break ND's first wicket partnership record.
He paired with Katene Clarke who contributed 71 off 69 (11 boundaries) and the power start was just the beginning of a mammoth day.
After Clarke departed at 160/1 in the 22nd over the scorers already had tired arms, but Jeet Raval showed no mercy as he carried on the damage, the ND skipper piling on 81 off 63 balls until he was yorked by Ben Sears in the 46th.
The Seifert show had ended in the 30th over but the fireworks just kept on going, Henry Cooper blasting a quick 49 as well as Northern reached a mighty 381/5 off their 50 overs.
It was Northern's highest ever one-day total against Wellington, and their second highest against any team (the record standing at 398, their famous match against the Central Stags in Hamilton, 2012/13).
Back for Wellington alongside fellow BLACKCAPS Michael Bracewell and Devon Conway, Firebirds star Finn Allen did his best to respond in kind.
He launched into an explosive knock of 90 off just 54 balls (also with eight boundaries, six sixes).
Bowled just a couple of hits away from making it his own triple digit day, he was a huge wicket for ND rookie spinner Tim Pringle.
Tom Blundell fell one short of a half century while Nick Kelly (66 off 56) gave Wellington a second lease of life with another explosive knock down the order.
Every one of ND's seven-prong attack was successful in the big-scoring yet tight match, bowling out their hosts in the penultimate over.
Tall and exciting find Scott Johnston picked up 2-29 on Ford Trophy debut, claiming two big wickets in Rachin Ravindra and Michael Bracewell in the space of three balls.
The Firebirds had given it a serious crack to reach 348 before losing their final wicket. It was their highest ever one-day total against Northern Districts with great signs all round for the teams heading soon into Dream11 Super Smash mode.
Buckle up.
