Brett Randell nabs maiden five-for

MILESTONES

Brett Randell - maiden five-wicket bag in List A cricket

List A debuts: Ryan Harrison, Ollie Pringle

Auckland Aces List A debut: Brad Rodden

Northern Districts List A debut: Jeet Raval

BJ Watling: 100th List A catch

Defending Ford Trophy champions the Auckland Aces took in a fresh look side to the new season and came away with a bruising defeat in their opening match against Northern Districts in Whangarei.

Sent in after a rain delay in the humid north, Graeme Beghin (47) was patient at the start of his innings as ND pace duo Anurag Verma and Neil Wagner started with tight lines - before a lengthy interruption at a niggly 11.2 overs into the innings.

When the players finally got back on the field, hours later at 4.20 PM, the match shrunk to 27 overs, giving the Aces 15.4 overs to get to a defendable total.

Beghin kept manipulating the Cobham Oval angles as he lost a pair of busy partners in Robert O’Donnell - BJ Watling's 100th List A catch - and Ben Horne.

When Beghin was caught on the off-side just three short of a half century, one of the Aces' trio of debutants, the experienced Brad Rodden, took on the ND bowlers.

The 31-year old hit three fours and a six on his way to a crafty 41 off 28 balls.

For the hosts, Brett Randell picked up career-best figures of 5-22, a maiden bag that included three wickets in the final over, all caught in the deep on the leg-side boundary.

The Aces ended with 138 for nine before DLS adjustments came into the equation and set Northern Districts a chase of 143 from 27 overs.

Openers Katene Clarke (63) and Jeet Raval (43) then raced out to a 95-run stand to take the game away.

Debutant Ryan Harrison (2-22) and Will Somerville (1-39) tried their best to drag the visitors back into the contest, but the damage was done and Northern Districts claimed a six-wicket win.

The two sides meet again at Cobham Oval on Tuesday, starting at 11AM.