Knights rip through CD

The Northern Knights don't mind experiencing Groundhog Day.

Their Plunket Shield version of days repeating themselves is proving profitable, after they took a useful lead over the Central Stags on day one of their four-day cricket match in Whangarei yesterday.

The home association took full advantage of a seaming, bouncy wicket to rip through the Central Districts side for 94 and had established a first innings lead of 90 with four wickets still in hand at stumps.

Seamer Graeme Aldridge, who took a career-best haul of 6-49 off 12.5 overs, admitted it was "virtually an exact replica" of their day one performance in last week's 10-wicket win over the Otago Volts.

In Dunedin, the Knights dismissed the Volts for 88 and got to 195 for six by the end of day one to set up their outright victory that took them immediately to the top of the Shield standings.

While the Cobham Oval wicket delighted the Knights' pace attack, the Stags top order also played their part in Central's woeful effort with the bat – as did Otago in round one.

None of the much-vaunted Stags top order showed any inclination to hang around and find a way to combat the bounce and movement as Aldridge and young left-armer Trent Boult (4-15 off 11 overs) tore through the line-up.

Ross Taylor top-scored with a streaky 29 from 54 balls, Jamie How made six, Mathew Sinclair 10 and Peter Ingram 11.

The quicks were aided by excellent fielding, with wicketkeeper Peter McGlashan snaring six catches and Kane Williamson two sharp efforts in the slips/gully cordon.

"There was definitely some assistance in the track and it's hard to bat on those wickets," Aldridge said.

"But we made use of the conditions as best we could. There was a little extra bounce at times and some sideways movement and so I just tried to bowl a good heavy length and use that extra bounce."

But Aldridge felt the wicket would perform in a similar manner to Dunedin's University Oval, which flattened out and got lower over the next two days.

"The guys who got in for us said if you play nice and straight you can do okay. Some of our guys got balls that you couldn't do much about."

The Knights' reply was also fraught with danger for the batsmen, although they showed a far greater propensity to try and leave when possible and defend the good balls, with opener Brad Wilson making 43 off 90 deliveries including six fours and two sixes.

However, they had slipped to nine for two initially and later 119-6 before hometown favourite Joseph Yovich (30 not out off 69 balls) and Jono Boult (33 off 91 in just his second first-class appearance) added an invaluable unbeaten 65 for the seventh wicket.

Yovich made an unbeaten 128 in his only innings last week.

Meanwhile, Knights wicketkeeper McGlashan gave team-mate Yovich some ribbing about his missed chance to grab a place in the New Zealand first-class cricket records.

The ND keeper took six catches but his opportunity to join seven other glovesmen with a share of the record of seven in one innings – including McGlashan's late grandfather Robin Schofield – disappeared when McGlashan had Black Caps star Ross Taylor caught behind slashing at Yovich only to see the delivery ruled a no-ball for overstepping. "Seven if not for Joey's big foot not being able to stay behind the line eh," McGlashan grinned.

In the other games, Peter Fulton did his chances of an international recall the world of good with an unbeaten 114 as Canterbury reached 329-5 against Otago in Rangiora. Earlier Rob Nicol (75) and Michael Papps (51) had both scored half centuries.

Wellington made the most of a lacklustre Auckland bowling line-up in Wellington yesterday and were 192-1 early before an Auckland fightback. Wellington finished the day at 327-7. Josh Brodie scored 103. Captain Matthew Bell was out before lunch for 94.

- © Fairfax NZ News