DAY FOUR
End of match — Northern Districts 156/6 (Nick Kelly career-best 40 not out). Earlier, Wellington Firebirds 376/8 declared (Tom Blundell 69, Jeetan Patel 31; Scott Kuggeleijn 3-99, Jimmy Baker 3-90) at the Basin Reserve, 1 November 2016
First innings batting bonus points, Northern Districts 2, Firebirds 4
First innings bowling bonus points, Firebirds 4, Northern Districts 3
A sunny fourth morning got off to a fun beginning as Jeetan Patel let swing. Off at a run-a-ball gallop on Melbourne Cup day, he walloped an early loose one from Jimmy Baker for six and then, just after batting partner Tom Blundell had posted his half century, smashed a second off Tony Goodin.
So far, so promising for the Firebirds on a day on which both teams needed to make up for lost time — this was still the first innings, and here we all were on day four.
Scorecard
However, by the time Blundell had advanced to 65 Patel’s luck would run out — indeed, he was run out by Bharat Popli after a racy little 31 at a 100-plus strike rate.
Blundell falling soon after, the license to thrill was quickly over as Firebirds captain Michael Papps called the batsmen in at 376 for eight, maximum batting points achieved to go with a 91-run lead, and the declaration denying Northern the chance to grab a final bowling bonus point.
Northern suffered another tough start to their second dig, losing Dean Brownlie and first drop Joe Carter early.
Daniel Flynn and Bharat Popli looked to slow down the action-packed morning, and kept grafting after the break — until they were finally both dislodged in a hurry by Luke Woodcock’s spin. Flynn was bowled after shouldering arms; Popli horribly trapped on the back foot as the ball made a direct course for his leg stump.
At 72 for four and with plenty of the arvo still to come, Northern had to get defensive -- but might have felt a twinge of nerves when they lost Daryl Mitchell cheaply again, before the young bucks Tim Seifert (who batted an hour and 25 minutes for 22) and Nick Kelly (unbeaten with a career-best 40) settled it down once more, the match now odds-on to peter to a late afternoon draw as they inched into the lead just before tea.
The Firebirds’ Brent Arnel would claim just the one wicket in the innings (Brownlie), which leaves him with one more to find next round to reach the next career landmark of 350 first-class victims. The weather-mucked draw was all enough, however, to promote the capital side to the top of the points table, where they now hold a two-point margin over Canterbury and Northern Districts.
The Firebirds travel for a return showdown with the Auckland Aces next round at Eden Park Outer Oval, while Northern Districts head home to Seddon Park to host Canterbury: free entry matches, from this Saturday 5 November.
DAY THREE
At stumps — Wellington Firebirds 299/5 (Luke Woodcock 120, Michael Pollard 68, Tom Blundell 38*; Scott Kuggeleijn 3-63) lead Northern Districts by 14 runs in the first innings at the Basin Reserve, Wellington on 31 October 2016
First innings batting bonus points, Northern Districts 2, Firebirds 2 (in progress)
First innings bowling bonus points, Firebirds 4, Northern Districts 2 (in progress)
Finally, a fine, sunny morning greeted both teams with the Firebirds keen to get going on their first innings reply.
A team stacked with energetic youngsters up against the most experienced line-up in New Zealand was always going to create a fascinating contest, and that’s exactly how the innings began with 24-year-old Scott Kuggeleijn throwing down the challenge to 37-year-old opening batsman Michael Papps in an absorbing duel.
Kuggeleijn was looking for three wickets to reach 150 first-class victims — and he would have them by drinks in the middle session in the shape of three quality players: Papps, Stephen Murdoch, and former Northern stalwart Hamish Marshall for the milestone
After Papps was trapped at 63/1 an hour and a half into the morning session, Murdoch had departed for a golden duck first ball of Kuggeleijn’s next over, putting the paceman on a hat-trick — for no advancement to the total.
Marshall was having none of that initially, and had even got off the mark with a six off Baker — but he, too, would ultimately fall lbw to a fierce Kuggeleijn, just one run short of his 50-stand with Luke Woodcock.
The anchorman yet again, Woodcock continued his strong start to season by ploughing on to reach his eighth first-class century — a huge relief after having suffered a brainfade on 98 in the previous match. As the sun kept shining, he shared an important 130-run stand for the fourth wicket with Michael Pollard (68), the latter strokemaker chalking up his first attractive knock of the season before being rudely knocked over by one of Jimmy Baker’s nipping seamers as he shouldered arms.
98 last innings and now he has 💯. Played Luke Woodcock. Card | https://t.co/yP4FGN2osm #plunketshield #hops @wgtnfirebirds pic.twitter.com/PzaHEy1TRk
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) October 31, 2016
After having survived a French cut against Baker early on, Woodcock had shaken off a short ball from his helmet en route to his ton, but was fortunately unrattled. As the track ameliorated, he settled in to plunder seamers Tony Goodin and Daryl Mitchell and reached his three figures after almost four hours’ solid attention at the crease.
The capable Tom Blundell had picked up the reins from Pollard before Woodcock was dismissed a few overs before stumps. The Firebirds were sitting at 299/5 overnight, a narrow lead of 14, and just one more run required on the final morning to achieve their third batting bonus point.
In a match which is running out of time, game declarations will need to be offered for the top-of-th- table clash to be settled outright on the last day.
DAY TWO
At stumps — Northern Districts 385 all out (Joe Carter 63, Tim Seifert 42, Scott Kuggeleijn 112; Hamish Bennett 4-54, Iain McPeake 3-58) v Wellington Firebirds at the Basin Reserve, Wellington on 30 October 2016
First innings batting bonus points, Northern Districts 2
First innings bowling bonus points, Firebirds 4
Things didn’t look too promising when the players arrived to such dark skies that you’d have been forgiven for thinking the end of the world was nigh. However, spring weather is never the same for long and, after a second day of early rain, play started shortly after 11am for a short, stop-start morning session.
Scorecard
When the weather cheered up after lunch, Bharat Popli’s slow-burning start to the season continued when he feathered one behind off Iain McPeake on 28. Just eight balls later, 46/3 became 46/4 as Daryl Mitchell departed scoreless in the very same manner — McPeake on fire in his first three overs, a wicket maiden by his name with Mitchell’s departure.
Joe Carter. Image: Photosport
Northern still had a lot of work to do at 69 for five at afternoon drinks, first drop Joe Carter having soldiered his way to 29*. Carter’s ultimate three hours of concentration would produce an important half century that helped stabilise his team after its chaotic start, sharing a valuable 59-run stand for the sixth wicket with Tim Seifert.
When Hamish Bennett finally broke through Carter’s defences on 63, shortly before tea, Scott Kuggeleijn navigated his way to the break, then came back out looking every bit like a bowler keen to get something defendable on the board — and smartly.
Kuggeleijn single-handedly plundered 14 runs from a Jeetan Patel over, including a sweetly executed six, swivelling in his stance as if sizing up his prey every ball. He showed he also had stickability, however, as he rustled up 37 runs for the seventh wicket with Seifert.
Iain McPeake celebrates a wicket. Image: Photosport
Seifert met his match in Brent Arnel — who lured him into edging to the slip cordon on 42. Kuggeleijn seemed unfazed and pasted his second six off Patel just a few balls later.
Patel suffered again when Joe Walker put him back over his head, then, when Kuggeleijn pinged Luke Woodcock back-to-back to the straight boundary, ND had made it to the 200-mark — and Kuggeleijn to his half century, off just 68 pills.
After he lost Joe Walker, bringing Jimmy Baker to the crease at 226/8, Kuggeleijn seemed to feel even more urgency as he whacked McPeake back-to-back to the boundary. The big shots kept coming as he reached his third first-class century late in the day, smashing it up with a four for good measure — off 125 balls, including 13 boundaries in all as well as four sixes.
Kuggeleijn had reached 112 before he became the ninth wicket to fall, and the Firebirds closed in to dismiss Northern for 285. Their first innings reply will begin on day three.
DAY ONE
Under gloomy skies, the temperature hovering around a chilly 12 degrees, a first day at the Basin would prove reasonably depressing for visitors Northern Districts.
Scorecard
Rain had delayed the start of the top of the table round two clash until the afternoon, then came back to force an early tea break and eventually halt day one proceedings when only 6.1 overs of play had been achieved.
Basin Reserve gloom. Image: Photosport
However, that was long enough for the Wellington Firebirds to claim two wickets by removing both Northern’s openers — Dean Brownlie yorked second ball in Hamish Bennett’s opening over.
Hamish Bennett charging in for Wellington. Image: Photosport
When captain Daniel Flynn promptly joined him back in the dungeon at 1/2, Joe Carter — who got away with lofting Brent Arnel for a streaky boundary, and Bharat Popli were left to start again, and will resume on the second day at 10/2 with a mission on their hands.
Sniffing wickets, veteran paceman Arnel had accounted for Flynn lbw and now requires just three more victims to reach 350 first-class career wickets.
