Stags pull off thrilling victory against ND
It was a thrilling, nail-biting final session in Napier yesterday as a tight one-wicket victory pitted the Central Stags' number 11 batsman Blair Tickner against ND's rampant wicket-hunting spin duo of Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner.
The tense finish – eventually sealed by a single off Sodhi from unlikely hero Tickner (who survived eight deliveries to finish 1 not out) – has now put the Stags firmly in the box seat to defend their first-class Plunket Shield title, and add it to their Burger King Super Smash title earlier this season.
With 17 points from this round, the Stags move to 100 points on the table, however they must still await the formal results of the Aces-Canterbury clash in Rangiora today to find out whether the Plunket Shield stays alive heading into next week's final round, or whether they have done enough to defend the Shield with a round to spare.
The Stags' victory also meant both ND and the Wellington Firebirds (who are meanwhile locking horns with the Otago Volts in Dunedin) dropped out of contention, while the Aces (presently on 74 points, including the first innings bonus points obtained in this round) and Canterbury (now 73 points) both need to reach 80 points tomorrow in order to remain mathematically alive heading into next week's final Round Eight.
Highlights from yesterday included:
- The Stags’ Ryan McCone – first first-class five-wicket bag (5-47) for the Central Stags, with his previous two five-wicket bags having been for Canterbury, in 2010/11 and 2012/13. Yesterdy's haul was just one run outside his career-best bowling figures of 5-46 in 2010/11.
- ND’s Ish Sodhi – retaliatory five-wicket bag as he attempted to snatch the match for ND. Sodhi's riveting 5-77 was his 14th first-class bag and equalled the Northern Districts record for most career first-class five-wicket bags, which he now shares with ND specialist coach (bowling) Graeme Aldridge.
- Stags wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver equalled the first-class record for Central v ND for dismissals in an innings, with eight (five second-innings dismissals).