DAY FOUR
End of match — Central Stags 86/9 (Mitch Renwick 37 not out, Ben Wheeler unavailable to bat; Todd Astle 5-36, Tim Johnston 3-33) lost to Canterbury, 354 all out in the second innings (Henry Nicholls 98, Cameron Fletcher 58, Kyle Jamieson career best 40 not out; Ajaz Patel 5-118) by 71 runs at Hagley Oval, Christchurch on 1 November 2016
A day that began with heartbreak for Canterbury ended with a huge headache for the Stags.
Scorecard
The heartbreak moment for Cantabrians came when Henry Nicholls fell on 98, trapped by his former teammate Ryan McCone.
At 244 for six, it had seemed a critical moment for Canterbury’s hopes to lose the star batsman. At least, it was — before the tail wagged vigorously. Tim Johnston batted positively for his 26 while 21-year-old paceman Kyle Jamieson held on splendidly for just over two hours for a career-best 40 not out, the innings helped along, too, by wicketkeeper Cam Fletcher’s determined half century.
The Stags’ left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel was meanwhile having another field day. He went on to his second five-wicket bag for the match — and second career match analysis of 10 or more, his combined figures turning in at 10-159 as he took advantage of a closely-shaven deck in fine but still cool early season conditions.
Batting was never too comfortable, but the final chapter in the match would shock.
Chasing just 158 for the win, the Stags would make a reasonable start… and then lose by a landslide as they crashed to their lowest ever total against Canterbury.
They were simply spun out, five fateful balls in particular rewriting the script of their innings.
At 41 for two, the Stags had been well enough on track chasing a low total, after all. Todd Astle had picked up Greg Hay early, but when fellow spinner Tim Johnston entered the wickets column with Stags captain Will Young — well, that was when all hell broke loose.
Johnston promptly put himself on a hat-trick by trapping Tom Bruce for a golden duck, then it was Astle’s turn at the popping crease.
A single off Astle’s first delivery from Mitch Renwick brought new man Dane Cleaver on strike — the centurion of the first innings. He was dismissed for a golden duck, then his replacement McCone also went for a golden duck — meaning both Johnston and Astle were now on hat-tricks at the same time in the same match.
While the hat-tricks were both averted, the damage to the Stags’ innings was not. The scoreboard had ticked furiously from 41/3 to 42/6. Renwick was still holding the fort at his end, but now 142 runs were left to score with only four tailend wickets left.
Canterbury’s reaction to the stunning twist is already doing the rounds on our social channels — it was an animated response to say the least.
Five balls, on a deck turning prodigiously — and more dangerous still, unpredictably.
Seth Rance (16 off 18) and Ajaz Patel (12 off 14) managed to fish out a boundary and a six each as the ball presented itself, but it wasn’t long enough before the spinners would nail them, too.
With the capable Ben Wheeler unable to bat after delayed concussion (he had been rapped on the helmet in the first innings), Blair Tickner became the luckless Stags’ last wicket to fall — yet another golden duck to a thrilled, attacking Astle. The leg-spinning allrounder could reflect on another solid all-round game, this time with the win to make it taste sweet.
The Stags’ total of 86 for nine had removed from the record-books their previous lowest total against Canterbury of 91 in the 1954/55 season.
The 71-run victory lifted Canterbury to second on the table. They now head to Seddon Park to challenge Northern Districts while the Stags fly south to Dunedin where both they and the Volts will be trying finally to grab their first win in the third round. Entry is free, all matches beginning Saturday 5 November.
DAY THREE
At stumps — Canterbury 229/5 (Peter Fulton 40, Henry Nicholls 91*) lead the Central Stags by 32 runs in the second innings. Earlier: Central Stags 399 (Dane Cleaver 104; Kyle Jamiseon 3-72, Tim Johnston 3-62) at Hagley Oval, Christchurch on 31 October 2016
First innings batting bonus points, Canterbury 1, Stags 4 (completed)
First innings bowling bonus points, Stags 4, Canterbury 4 (completed)
Scorecard
Hopeful of his second first-class ton, the Stags’ brazen wicketkeeper-batsman Dane Cleaver resumed on 78* on day three, late order soldier Seth Rance in support. The pair ticked off their first goal of the morning in the first over — grabbing the fourth batting point by reaching 350, but Rance (20) paddled to slips soon after to deliver the first wicket of moving day to tall and ever-challenging young seamer Kyle Jamieson.
The oft flamboyant Cleaver kept his head in the tricky first hour, however, and made it to an effervescent hundred with his 11th boundary, off Henry Shipley, scored off 175 balls with three sixes in the mix to boot.
Dane Cleaver is congratulated by Ajaz Patel. Image: Photosport
He would fall attempting to reverse sweep Jamieson (3-62) shortly after reaching the mark — which also prevented a 50-stand with Ajaz Patel, whose contribution of 24 ended, along with the innings, when Todd Astle had him caught in the following over.
Dane Cleaver has a 💯. Top effort from the @CentralStags keeper. 11 fours. 3 sixes. #plunketshield Card | https://t.co/G7kQpaFxG6 pic.twitter.com/kWDnSIoTDT
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) October 30, 2016
Dismissed for 399, the Stags therefore took a 197-run lead from their first innings, but despite useful breakthroughs from the Stags, by stumps Canterbury had overhauled them with a second innings dig of 226/5 for a slim 32-run overall lead heading into the final day.
Stylish BLACKCAP Henry Nicholls had headlined the effort, unbeaten on 91 to be within sight of his fifth first-class century (which will be his third for Canterbury if successful on the final morning).
Earlier in the innings, Nicholls had also registered his 2000th first-class run for his side and, with the fate of the match hanging in the balance with just five wickets in hand, he will be keen to personally secure the final day for his team.
But the gallant Stags have a sniff, and spinner Ajaz Patel was again leading the wickets charge, having picked up Peter Fulton (40) and Ken McClure (16) to move to seven for the match.
DAY TWO
At stumps — Central Stags 343/7 (Greg Hay 89, Will Young 52, Dane Cleaver 78*, Ben Wheeler 58). Earlier: Canterbury 202 all out (Todd Astle 53; Ajaz Patel 5-41, Seth Rance 4-41) at Hagley Park, Christchurch on 30 October 2016
First innings batting bonus points, Canterbury 1, Stags 3 (in progress)
First innings bowling bonus points, Stags 4, Canterbury 3 (in progress)
Central’s attack permitted their hosts just 17 further runs after play resumed early on day two. Seamer Seth Rance and left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel wrapped things up between them, the last three wickets tumbling in quick succession as Rance snaffled the final two in the space of three balls — resilient Todd Astle the last to fall, after having ensured at least one batting bonus point for his side despite a distinct dearth of partnerships.
Scorecard
For Ajaz Patel, the jubilant 100th wicket celebrations of yesterday were now topped off with his sixth first-class five-wicket bag — and the music kept playing for the Stags as opener Greg Hay confidently got the reply underway with a four first ball of their innings.
Opening partner Ben Smith and Mitch Renwick were lost early — Renwick caught after a spectacular, aerial dive from keeper Cam Fletcher, the ball ballooning off the batsman’s gloves. But Hay kept motoring, going to lunch requiring just three more for a half-ton.
His partnership with captain Will Young would eventually swell to 103 runs in the middle session and, in his 50th first-class match, Hay’s half century arrived off just 80 balls as they made swift and steady in-roads into the Canterbury tally, with regular boundaries.
Young followed suit with his first half century of 2016/17 including nine fours, before Tim Johnston stopped his progress by bowling him next over.
Tom Bruce got off the mark with a flourished four, while Hay continued steady work on what seemed a looming consecutive ton. But the latter would be denied by Johnston, trapped on 89 after three and a half hours at the crease; while Bruce was also undone by spin just a handful of balls later, this time by Astle.
At 178/5, Ben Wheeler and Dane Cleaver had each only just got off the mark by the time the kettle was boiled for tea, but the break would do them no harm. In a rollicking final session, Wheeler found the pickets to bring up the Stags’ 200 in the 61st over while Dane Cleaver punched sixes to take the Stags into the lead.
They would pour on 134 runs together in their feisty sixth-wicket stand — just eight runs shy of the Central record agaonst Canterbury, Wheeler sweeping Astle to the fence for his 50 (10 boundaries strewn amongst those runs) and Dane Cleaver joining him there soon after drinks.
The spinners were beginning to bleed runs as the Stags’ free-hitters relentlessly chalked up batting points and an almost 100-run lead before the introduction of the new ball, along with Kyle Jamieson and Ed Nuttall, slowed the partying down for a spell. It was Jamieson who found Wheeler’s bottom edge to finally break the stand, but Cleaver carried on with Rance’s support to be unbeaten at stumps on 78, the Stags pushing out to a 141-run lead overnight.
DAY ONE
Canterbury 185/7 (Henry Nicholls 33, Todd Astle 51*; Ajaz Patel 4-41) at Hagley Oval, Christchurch
First innings batting bonus points, Canterbury 0 (in progress)
First innings bowling bonus points, Stags 3 (in progress)
At a brisk Hagley Oval, on a day in which an early belt of rain had shrunk proceedings to afternoon-only, a visiting off-spinner had a big day out.
Scorecard
Central Stags left-armer Ajaz Patel has now raced to 101 first-class wickets from just 28 matches. Top wicket-taker in last year’s Plunket Shield, the late bloomer chopped down four wickets to end day one with a haul of 4-41 as the Stags hunt maximum bowling bonus points against their Cantabrian hosts.
Canterbury passing the time. Image: Photosport
After having been introduced in the 24th over, Patel's hundredth wicket milestone arrived in the midst of a useful spree of three. It accounted for a crisp Henry Nicholls (who’d looked good, until then, in his boundary-laden 33); the milestone moment of Ken McClure caught by Ryan McCone for just one run, to have Patel sitting on interim figures of 2-0-4-2; and then Peter Fulton, trapped in a wicket maiden to leave Canterbury 87 for four shortly before tea. And, since Fulton had attempted to bring Patel back down to Earth by advancing down the pitch and booming him straight back over his head for six, the wicket was a pleasant comeback for the spinner.
With seamer Seth Rance pitching in with two W’s in support, by stumps Canterbury had scratched ahead to 185/7, an awkward Kyle Jamieson trying to hold on for partner Todd Astle.
Unbeaten Astle, the salvage man yet again, reached his half century before day’s end as the skies brightened somewhat, but could have done without watching Rance bamboozle Andy Ellis, before Cameron Fletcher became Patel’s fourth wicket of the day. Should Patel carry on with his snares tomorrow, it will produce a celebratory sixth first-class five-wicket bag to go with that 100th wicket.
