ROUND SIX
AUCKLAND ACES lost to NORTHERN DISTRICTS by 104 runs
1 February 2024
Kennards Hire Community Oval, Eden Park, Auckland
Aukland Aces 0 points, Northern Districts 5 points
- Jock McKenzie: List A debut
- Tim Seifert: 1500 List A runs when he reached 11
- Brett Hampton: 1500 List A runs when he reached 10
- Record 5th wicket List A partnership (156) for Northern Districts in games v Auckland
- Joe Carter: Highest List A score; 3rd List A century (2nd v Auckland)
- Brett Hampton: Maiden List A century
- Highest List A total for Northern Districts in games v Auckland
- Matt Fisher: Maiden five-wicket bag in List A cricket
Where to begin.
A maiden Brett Hampton Ford Trophy century. A Joe Carter career best ton. A partnership that fell just one run shy of equalling a long-standing ND record. One of ND's all-time top 10 totals.
A maiden List A one-day bag to quick Matt Fisher. A new leader at the top of the table and a heck of a game from Northern as they bounced back from their Dream11 Super Smash disappointment - failing to make the playoffs - with a thunderclap of a one-dayer.
Brett Hampton PHOTOSPORT
About the only thing that went right for the Auckland Aces on the sweltering Thursday was winning the toss. But at the other end of the Northern Districts innings, staring at a total of 319/6, maybe putting in ND wasn't a winning formula for the newly crowned T20 champions from Auckland.
The Aces had Blues rugby rep Jock McKenzie on List A debut and, although McKenzie soon had his maiden wicket as ND captain Jeet Raval exited in the 19th over, the Aces were made to work very hard from there, at 76/4, as Hampton joined Carter for a stand to remember.
It had actually been a decent start until then from the Aucklanders, Danru Ferns, Ben Lister and Sean Solia all picking up good wickets, with a hot streak of return catches.
PHOTOSPORT
But Hampton and Carter dominated the next 23 and a half overs, pouring on 156 for the fifth wicket - stopped just one run short of equalling the ND fifth wicket record, held since 2017/18 by Dean Brownlie and Daryl Mitchell.
Nevertheless, the stand did the trick for ND who reached 232/5 in the 43rd over before that happened. With wickets in hand, from there it was icing on the cake as Hampton kept hammering the attack, batting to the last ball to finish with an unbeaten 126* off just 100 balls, his maiden List A ton.
Carter had meanwhile reached his ton at slightly more than run-a-ball just before they had hit 150 for the fifth. He went on to 106, with 10 boundaries and three sixes, before debutant McKenzie finally had him caught in the deep off a hard-hit but mis-timed straight drive.
Pete Drysdale joined Hampton for a 59-stand for the next wicket as well, Hampton teeing off and accounting for the lion's share of runs at the death.
The dangerman blasted five sixes and 13 fours, getting the Northerners up to 319/16: their 10th highest List a total.
That was always going to be a tough one for the Aces to chase down, but at 108/5 halfway through their chase the going was made even tougher.
Matt Fisher had removed both openers before they got into the swing of things, then Kristian Clarke had Robbie O'Donnell caught and bowled quickly.
Matt Fisher PHOTOSPORT
Cole Briggs got a start but couldn't get past 30, then Fisher charged in for his third wicket in the 25th over. He had his fourth in the 29th and there was no stopping the quick after that, hunting his maiden bag - signed, sealed and delivered by Cam Fletcher when Fisher came back towards the end of the innings.
Auckland had headed into this match with a one-point lead at the top of the table and their eyes on the possibility of a white-ball trophy double.
The prospect is still very much alive, but they now find themselves in second, with four games left before playoffs, and Northern Districts now sitting pretty on the top of the ladder, with a four-point lead after picking up a bonus point.
Tim Pringle (a tidy 3/33) had wrapped it up with the last two wickets in a hurry, the Aces bowled out for 215 in the 45th over after some fighting lower order resistance.
Fisher finished with 5/46 off his 10 overs of heat as his solid season continues in all formats.
