ROUND 6 of 10
WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS defeated NORTHERN DISTRICTS by four wickets
6 February 2025
Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington
Points: Wellington Firebirds 4, ND 0
All images: PHOTOSPORT
The Firebirds inflicted defeat on Northern Districts for the second time in The Ford Trophy this season, Muhammad Abbas top-scoring with a half century on both occasions.
The result left Northern anchored to the foot of the table with just one win and a washout from six rounds, while the Firebirds held on to third spot - with the Stags now coming into their rear vision mirror.
Daniel Flynn stepped up as ND's Coach for this fixture, and will continue in the following round while Head Coach BJ Watling takes a scheduled break.
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Staning in for Jeet Raval who was unable to take the field, captain Joe Carter won the toss for Northern Districts and elected to bat, but for the second time in the space of the week, it just wasn't Northern's day at the Cello Basin Reserve.
Five days earlier they had been trounced by a BLACKCAPS-laden Canterbury Kings side in the Dream11 Super Smash Elimination Final, and now they were back in the capital trying to shake off those memories and rescue a flailing Ford Trophy campaign before it was too late.
Logan van Beek had the first say for the hosts, with a sharp delivery that splayed Katene Clarke's stumps early, knocking the middle pole out of the ground at 7/1.
But a second-wicket stand of 43 between captain Carter and the strong young Fergus Lellman settled things down, until Peter Younghusband had Lellman (32) caught, in the 11th over as the sun streamed down on Waitangi Day.
You can't beat Wellington on a good day.
Carter carried on with Robbie O'Donnell, and the two experienced men added 83 for the next wicket.
Northern looked to be setting up nicely at 133/2, with O'Donnell on the doorstep of a half ton.
But then Mo Abbas got a feather, and a clump of wickets ensued that swung the advantage right back to the hosts.
Van Beek had got the big wicket of Carter (stopped on 49), while Younghusband (3/31) and Liam Dudding combined to rout the middle order.
Lean paceman Dudding walked off with 3/42 as he finished off ND at 200 on the nose, in the 44th over.
Northern had committed the cardinal sin of not batting out their overs, and it was advantage Firebirds who got home courtesy of a few additional middle order contributions.
The innings were otherwise fairly mirrored, opener Jesse Tashkoff falling cheaply to Kristian Clarke after a ponderous start, at 39/1.
But Nick Greenwood produced 47, and Abbas went on to his unbeaten half ton to see it home in 46 overs.
He finished with an unbeaten 59, sealing the points with a boundary off Henry Cooper.
