ROUND EIGHT
Northern Districts v Otago Volts at Cobham Oval, Whangarei, 17-20 March 2018
First innings batting bonus points: Otago Volts 0 (completed), Northern Districts 1 (completed)
First innings bowling bonus points: Northern Districts 3 (completed), Otago Volts 3 (completed)
Total points this round: Northern Districts 4, Otago Volts 3
- First Class debut: Peter Bocock (ND)
- Ish Sodhi: 10th 5-wicket-bag in first-class cricket; 9th for Northern Districts
- Ish Sodhi: 50 wickets for Northern Districts v Otago Volts when dismissing Derek de Boorder
- Daryl Mitchell: 50 first-class wickets for Northern Districts when dismissing Hamish Rutherford in the 2nd innings
DAY FOUR
No further play was possible as the rain that had toyed with the match throughout closed in. The draw saw ND formally drop out of contention for the Shield this summer, joining Canterbury and the Otago Volts in the also-rans.
However, ND could yet have a major say in who claims this season's Plunket Shield, particularly with key spin weapon Ish Sodhi back in their mix.
ND's final two matches in the Plunket Shield are against the two sides that have been battling it out for top honours all season: front-runners the Wellington Firebirds at the Basin in round nine from this Sunday, followed by the second-placed Central Stags at Napier's Nelson Park in early April, the round that looks destined to decide the Plunket Shield's home over winter.
The Central Stags need only to close the 12-point gap on the Firebirds in the upcoming round to regain control of their own fate.
DAY THREE
After a delayed start, ND resumed at 97/3 on what would prove another stop-start day in showery and blustery weather.
Anaru Kitchen quickly picked up the nightwatchman Baker before Jacob Duffy claimed the big wicket of Corey Anderson who made a bad leave, his off-stump sent cartwheeling on 28.
That brought Daryl Mitchell to the crease to join Nick Kelly with Mitchell leading a fightback with an unbeaten 51.
However, no one could stay with him for long, Peter Bocock’s debut knock ending in unlucky fashion as he hammered the ball into Josh Tasman-Jones as short leg, only for the ball to balloon up, Anaru Kitchen scooping up the catch.
Michael Rippon. PHOTOSPORT
It provided Michael Rippon’s third wicket and he quickly had four courtesy of Sodhi, but would be denied a shot at a five-for as ND captain Daniel Flynn declared more than 100 runs behind in the weather-affected match at 227 for eight in the third session.
By stumps, the Volts had reached 101/3 in the their second innings with Rob Nicol and Neil Broom on starts.
DAY TWO
On a blustery morning, Derek de Boorder continued his penchant for digging the Volts out of strife, setting about a sixth-wicket recovery with Jimmy Neesham.
De Boorder held it together again. MButcher/NZC
The pair got the Volts’ 150 on the board during a 68-run stand that was finally broken by Sodhi, Neesham attempting to sweep him only to be bowled round his legs.
It was Sodhi’s third wicket of the innings and put an end to useful start from Neesham (34 off 64); moreover it opened the floodgates for Sodhi to attack the lower the order.
And attack it he would. Michael Rippon put up a fight, however, batting for more than two hours with de Boorder who meanwhile reached his half century after almost three hours of labour.
The pair had almost pushed the score along to 250 by the time the new ball was taken, their stand hitting 109 for the seventh wicket before Rippon was caught late in the middle session.
Now Sodhi had a four-fa, and in the space of just 10 overs he converted that into a haul of seven for 98 — the third occasion on which he has bagged seven wickets against the Volts in a first-class innings, the fourth overall after doing the same to the Stags in last summer's pink-ball match, and his 10th haul of five wickets or more in a first-class innings, including the big wicket of de Boorder whom he halted on 89 for his fifth victim.
Well done @ish_sodhi taking 7 wickets in the 1st innings 🙌 We'll be having a bat after tea #PlunketShield pic.twitter.com/LB5vMAXgFF
— Northern Districts (@ndcricket) March 18, 2018
The Volts all out on the stroke of tea for 331, ND’s all top order made good starts after the break but no one was able to carry on, the hosts 97 for three at stumps, Corey Anderson 6* and nightwatchman Jimmy Baker yet to get off the mark.
DAY ONE
With Northland rain rudely interrupting several times across the first day’s play, the Otago Volts faced a stop-start mission to get runs on the board after captain Rob Nicol had claimed the toss and plumped for a bat at Cobham Oval.
By tea they had made it to just 137 for five in the 47.5 overs possible — Anaru Kitchen’s dismissal ushering in the break, and then the return of the wet stuff ensured there would be no play for the rest of the day.
Kitchen had looked promising with his stylish 57 from just 94 balls.
Behind the stumps for ND was Peter Bocock on first-class debut, BJ Watling and Tim Seifert both having called away for NZXI duties, Watling poised to finally return to the BLACKCAPS following his full rehab from injury.
Although the top five were all back in the hutch, neither side yet had clear ascendancy with the doughty Derek de Boorder to resume on the second morning on 13*, seamer Jimmy Baker (above) and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi both sitting on a brace overnight.
