Canterbury defies the odds to qualify on top

Canterbury did it again, to claim the first position in the Shell Cup final, when achieving a death-defying 14-run win over Wellington at Jade Stadium in Christchurch tonight.

Needing only 208 to beat Canterbury and claim a semi-final spot Wellington succumbed, as they have so often to Canterbury in crucial Cup games, and ended up finishing fifth in the Cup.

At one stage Wellington were 104/1 and then lost their next nine wickets for 89 runs. Wellington needed 16 off the last over bowled by new international Chris Martin. He bowled three dot balls, conceded a single and then bowled Paul Hitchcock.

As a result of Canterbury's win, they shared 12 points with Central Districts, but because they had five wins compared to CD's four, they were the round robin winners.

As a result, Napier will be the venue for the semi-final play-off between CD and Northern Districts who lost heavily to Auckland yesterday.

The final points were: Canterbury 12, Central Districts 12, Northern Districts 11, Auckland 10, Wellington 8, Otago 7.

Wellington's plight, and their cracking under pressure, told with the three successive run outs of Andrew Penn, James Franklin and Jason Wells as Wellington got within 40 runs of their target.

But the cool heads of Gary Stead (Penn), Chris Harris (Wells) and Nathan Astle (Franklin) ensured the run-outs from within the circle.

Canterbury were in danger of missing out on the finals programme for the first time in 10 years.

Auckland turned around their abysmal performance when dismissed for 73 in their game against Central Districts two days ago by scoring a record 318/5 against Northern Districts on Eden Park's Outer Oval.

Lou Vincent, already the highest scorer in a Shell cup innings for Auckland after his 145 against Central Districts last year, top scored with 133 not out.

Northern Districts started at a merry clip in their chase but lost wickets regularly and were well short when finally dismissed for 187.

Central Districts, who have stormed home despite losing four games to bad weather, finished equal with Canterbury on top but because they have won less games they now need to beat Northern Districts in Napier on Sunday to qualify for the final.

Otago offered no resistance in Invercargill being dismissed for 67, the third lowest score in Shell Cup history, and only three better than the lowest score, also held by Otago, and recorded against Wellington in 1984/85.