ROUND SEVEN
Otago Volts captain Dean Foxcroft has provided a star turn at the Cello Basin Reserve with a stunning haul of 6/49 against Plunket Shield contenders the Wellington Firebirds - but it won't be enough to keep his team alive in the championship.
As the spinning allrounder ripped through the lower order, the Day Two haul was Foxcroft's second career bag in first-class cricket, the Firebirds set to resume today's penultimate day of the penultimate round with just one first-innings wicket remaining, at 338/9 in 106.4 overs.
However, the Otago Volts, in fourth spot on the ladder, have now become the second team (after the Auckland Aces) to formally drop out of the running for the national title, with Northern Districts sitting on an interim tally of 83 points and the Volts now able to reach a maximum of only 81 after first innings bonus point considerations.
PHOTOSPORT
Earlier, the productive first drop Gareth Severin (105) continued his best season yet for the Firebirds with his third Plunket Shield century - which helped the Firebirds get into a position to snaffle three of the four available batting bonus points by stumps, despite Foxcroft wheeling in with regular wickets, starting with Severin himself, caught behind at 191/3
The Firebirds can secure a fourth batting point if they hold onto their last wicket long enough this morning to reach 350 by 110 overs.
•
In Rangiora, Canterbury captain Cole McConchie has meanwhile become the first player in New Zealand first-class history to score a century after having registered a dreaded "king pair" (two golden ducks) in his previous match.
PHOTOSPORT
McConchie's men are playing Plunket Shield frontrunners Northern Districts and have made sure that ND will take just three of the eight available first innings points in this match, after Canterbury reached 359/5 in 114 overs by stumps on the second day.
McConchie reached 106, while his keeper-batter Mitch Hay's unbeaten 145* headlined the home team's innings, helping construct consecutive century partnerships with McConchie and Michael Rippon.
PHOTOSPORT
It was Hay's maiden first-class century and he's set to resume this morning at Mainpower Oval with Canterbury holding a 124-run first-innings lead over Northern, in a good position with five wickets in hand.
•
With the Firebirds breathing down their neck on the table, Northern faces a big job to rescue their chances in this game while in Napier, defending champions the Central Stags have banked six of the eight first innings points so far against the Auckland Aces to hold their position in third.
Tom Bruce | PHOTOSPORT
The Stags will resume on 286/6 after 95 overs at McLean Park, however captain Greg Hay (79) and the prolific Tom Bruce (95) were both left kicking themselves yesterday afternoon after each missed out on a century opportunity to right-arm paceman Jordan Sussex.
Sussex, a physiotherapist who is appearing for the Aces for just the second time in two years, will resume with figures of 2/53, after having taken 3/36 on debut against the same team at the same venue in April 2022.
Play resumes at 10.30am, weather permitting, at all venues, with free admission and free livestreams at NZC YouTube, and livescoring at www.nzc.nz and on the NZC app
ROUND SEVEN OF EIGHT
10.30am, Saturday 16 to Tuesday 19 March, 2024
FREE admission
- Central Stags v Auckland Aces at McLean Park, Napier
- Canterbury v Northern Districts at Mainpower Oval, Rangiora
- Wellington Firebirds v Otago Volts at Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington
