2024/25
ROUND SEVEN
WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS lost to NORTHERN DISTRICTS by 20 runs
Cello Basin Reserve
21-24 March 2025
POINTS IN THIS ROUND:
Wellington Firebirds: 4
Northern Districts: 16
Canterbury: 20
Central Stags: 4
Otago Volts: 7
Auckland Aces: 4
All images: PHOTOSPORT
SELECTED MILESTONES
Nick Kelly: 2,000 first-class career runs
Robbie O'Donnell: 10th first-class century (first for ND)
Scott Kuggeleijn: 14th first-class five-wicket bag
SNAPSHOT:
A top-of-the-table clash in the penultimate round in Wellington proved to be a big boost for the Northern's chances of breaking their title drought and a misstep for the defending champion Firebirds whose own chances took a sudden hit.
By the end of the round, three teams were out of the running. Two of the remaining contenders - Wellington and Canterbury - would be playing each other in a big final round, while Northern would head to Dunedin.
DAY ONE
There was predictably no hesitation from home captain Tom Blundell after he won the toss in the crucial clash at the Cello Basin Reserve where the deck was a fresh, bright green and 17 wickets fell on the opening day.
He sent in Jeet Raval's Northern men, and by lunch had them 100/7.
It set the tone for both first innings in what was clearly a result wicket: max bowling points banked, no batting points at all, as batsmen tried to weather a seam-bowling storm.
Liam Dudding had opened the attack for the hosts with Logan van Beek, and picked up both Henry Cooper and Raval in his first spell.
Then another tall paceman in Michael Snedden (2/16) arrived at first change and put himself on an unconverted hat-trick in just his second over - Bharat Popli and (for a golden) Robbie O'Donnell departing cheaply as well, both trapped to turn 37/2 into 37/4 in the 13th over of the morning.
When Joe Carter was bowled by Nathan Smith (1/18) soon after, Northern was in trouble. Brett Hampton decided attack was his best form of defence and top-scored with a quick 31 before Mo Abbas (1/14) and van Beek (2/42) went to pick up their first victims, all before the first break.
Northern's allround pair of Scott Kuggeleijn and Kristian Clarke added 34 for the eighth wicket after lunch.
But Dudding would wrap up the innings in the 44th over to finish with 4/19 off just 12.1, after Clarke - having survived for almost an hour and a half, was caught behind for a gutsy 15.
Northern had been rolled for 119, now it was the Firebirds' turn - and it would be a similar shape to their first innings.
A missed opportunity for Northern | PHOTOSPORT
Three down by tea, by stumps the hosts were 154/7, holding an overnight lead of 35 after Clarke (2/35), Neil Wagner (2/37) and Hampton (3/38) had done most of the damage.
DAY TWO
Wellington captain Blundell's 43 on the previous afternoon had proven the difference in the first innings, but he would last just another couple of deliveries before he was caught behind off Clarke, without adding to his overnight score.
The Firebirds' tail added some handy late runs, however, before Hampton took their final wicket just a dozen overs later, stopping the scoreboard at 189.
The hosts, current leaders in the competition, held a first innings advantage of 70.
By lunchtime, that advantage had swung even harder in the direction of the home side, after Northern had lost three second-innings wickets at 45/3 off 15 overs before the break.
Two smart, experienced campaigners in Raval and O'Donnell were in the middle, and someone needed to produce something special to keep Northern in the fight.
That someone was O'Donnell as he left his golden duck behind him and went on to reach his first ton for Northern, to go with nine in his former career with Auckland.
He had early support from his captain in a 50-run stand for the fourth wicket before van Beek had the left-hander Raval caught behind on 41, after almost two hours.
That ushered in Hampton at 89/4 and he provided excellent support to O'Donnell through the remainder of an interesting session, as Northern looked to get some momentum.
The sun was shining and O'Donnell was beginning to enjoy himself, banging Dudding into the stand, and the pair forcing a few changes as they piled on 187 for the fifth wicket.
He had been on 91* at tea and went on to reach his century unperturbed, off just 120 balls, with a lavish pull shot off Smith, the partnership already having passed three figures.
Hampton's half ton followed, the pair having taken their side past the 250-mark.
O'Donnell would reach his 150 before he was finally caught and bowled by Peter Younghusband (2/48) at 276/5, and Hampton would go on to 72 before he was trapped by Jesse Tashkoff at 295/6.
By stumps, Northern was 308/7 and holding an overall overnight lead of 238*.
DAY THREE
Keeper Ben Pomare and Scott Kuggeleijn resumed for Northern who stretched the overnight tally to 335. But Van Beek wrapped up the ND innings before lunch, finishing with 4/69.
The hosts were valready 76/3 in the fourth innings before the break, in this fast-paced game.
Gareth Severin had made it to 24* and put on a further 50 runs against his name in the middle session, which also cost the wickets of his three partners.
Resuming after tea at 195/6 with van Beek, the last session would turn into a scrappy one as the teams went on and off for bad light, and the day finally ended with the Firebirds 227/7.
Severin had gone by then, caught on 83, after having attempted to hook Wagner.
But the Firebirds were now in a strong position thanks to his efforts, and would head into the last day needing just a further 39 runs for a critical outright points victory.
Northern needed three wickets in a hurry.
DAY FOUR
Of course, just when you think you might have it in the bag, the weather will come along and make you sweat.
Wet weather took out the entire morning session at the Basin, an early lunch was called, and Northern could only look to the heavens to hope they might get back on and improved their chances in the great quest.
Umpires Billy Bowden and Craig Pryor finally liked what they saw, however, and set a start time of 2pm for ball number 66.2 of the final innings.
Northern's last hope was three quick wickets as Hampton took the ball, van Beek unbeaten on 32* from the previous afternoon.
Two quick wickets from Kuggeleijn dramatically improved Northern’s chances, the Firebirds suddenly down to their last wicket and still needing to find 33 further runs as last man Liam Dudding looked to survive against a steaming Neil Wagner - and Kuggeleijn on a roll.
The target had been chiselled down to the last 21 runs when ND's sharp fielding stopped senior batter van Beek from completing a second run, exposing Dudding to Kuggeleijn.
Just two balls later, Kuggeleijn had his 14th first-class five-wicket bag — his first against his former team — with a match-winning 5/57, van Beek stranded on 46* as the Firebirds were dismissed for 245 and Northern went up in unison in a heady mélange of delight and relief.
A Firebirds win would have seen them take a hefty 14-point advantage into the last round in their own quest to become the first team in six years to successfully defend the 119-year-old Plunket Shield.
To hold onto that dream, Wellington now needs to head off Canterbury next week at the Basin - Canterbury meanwhile having kept their own chances alive by taking the full 20 points from a comprehensive innings victory over the Central Stags — executed with almost half the match to spare, at Hagley Oval the previous day.
Northern will meanwhile travel to Dunedin to try to control their own fate against the Otago Volts who, along with the Stags and Aces, were now knocked out of the running.
