Related Links
Northern Knights captain Scott Styris had the satisfaction of winning the toss but that was about it as rain wrecked his team’s HRV Cup Twenty20 match against the Otago Volts in Dunedin today.
Styris hesitated for a time before inserting the Volts but three rain breaks, the last of them permanent, saw the match abandoned at University Oval.
The first stoppage after three overs saw the Volts on 19 without loss and by the time Brendon McCullum and Aaron Redmond returned to the middle the contest had been reduced to a 17 overs-per-side match.
But even that proved beyond reach because the forecasted rain returned with the hosts at 77 for five after McCullum had departed for 32 off 26 balls, with two sixes and two fours before being caught and bowled by Kane Williamson, while English import Dmitri Mascarenhas hit 15 off 10.
Despite the truncated nature of the proceedings, slow left-armer Anton Devcich had time to return career best figures of three for 23 off four overs after he had been entrusted with the opening duties.
The calculators were put to good use during the second break, as the game was further reduced to an 11 overs-per-side affair with the Knight set a revised target of 82 for victory.
They barely got in to their work, reaching six for one after losing pinch hitter Tim Southee, run out without scoring, in the one over possible before the third and final shower had the last say.
