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Craig Cumming delivered a masterclass performance to help guide his Otago Volts side to a resounding 111-run Ford Trophy one-day win over the Northern Knights today.
Two days after becoming the highest runs scorer for his province in the first-class arena, the 36-year-old struck a career best one-day score of 123 as the Volts cracked 295 for six at University Oval in Dunedin.
The Knights were well served by James Marshall although they needed more from the others and were eventually dismissed for 184 in just 39 overs.
Marshall made 72 off 85 balls but his dismissal, caught by Neil Broom off spinner Nathan McCullum in the 29th over, left the Knights on 135 for five and they never recovered.
McCullum, who had earlier made an important 56 with the bat, completed a fine match double by taking three for 31 while fast bowler Ian Butler did the major damage by taking five for 33 off nine overs, his best one-day return in a long career.
Cumming, a former international, required only 115 balls as he belted six fours and the same number of sixes to ensure the Volts left the visitors a challenging chase.
He collaborated with McCullum in a crucial fifth wicket stand of 143 in just 23 overs after the Volts were in some bother at 107 for four in the 23rd over.
McCullum rotated the strike intelligently, piercing the field for boundaries on only three occasions but he kept the scoring ticking over to ensure Cumming did not have to spend too much time at the non-striker’s end.
McCullum’s share was 56 off 64 balls before he was bowled by Anton Devcich and Cumming was the last to go, two balls before the end of the 50th over when he was found short of his ground as Devcich and Peter McGlashan completed the run out.
Devcich was the pick of the attack, taking two for 43 off eight overs.
The Knights’ pursuit began inauspiciously when Brad Wilson was run out on the very first ball of the innings and they encountered more trouble when Butler removed Hamish Marshall for 10 and Joseph Yovich to reduce the visitors to 29 for three in the seventh over.
