Ellis bowls Canterbury to big win

Seamer Andrew Ellis' fourth five-for in List A cricket helped Canterbury thump Central Districts by 10 wickets in Christchurch. Ellis ran through Central Districts' middle and lower order and finished with 5 for 17. Only four batsmen managed to reach double digits, as the team collapsed for 94 in 19.1 overs. Hamish Bennett picked up three scalps, while Ryan McCone and Matt McEwan chipped in with a dismissal each for Canterbury.

Canterbury made short work of the paltry target, as George Worker (46 not out) and Tom Latham (50 not out) had an unbroken stand of 97 for the opening wicket to take the team home in 15.2 overs.

BJ Watling's unbeaten 97 helped set up Northern Districts' 110-run thrashing of Auckland in Hamilton. Watling struck nine fours and a six during his 93-ball knock, and forged a third-wicket partnership worth 87 with Daryl Mitchell (59) to help Northern Districts recover from the loss of an early wicket and post 257 from their 50 overs. Bhupinder Singh and Matthew Quinn snared two wickets apiece.

Auckland were unable to gather any momentum during their chase and stumbled to 102 for 7 inside 30 overs. Donovan Grobbelaar, coming in at No. 7, was their highest scorer with 29, and he was the only batsman to make more than 20. Scott Kuggeleijn, Anurag Verma and Graeme Aldridge claimed two scalps each for Northern Districts as Auckland folded for 147 in 42.5 overs.

A four-wicket haul from the left-arm seamer Andy McKay helped Wellington hold their nerve for a two-run victory against Otago at Basin Reserve. Chasing 309, Sam Wells' 29-ball 50 looked to have taken Otago home, but McKay dismissed Wells off the last ball of the match to leave the visitors stranded on 306.

Wellington, put in to bat, were buoyed by an opening stand of 144 between Stephen Murdoch (89) and Michael Papps (98). Otago fought back with three quick wickets, but quick knocks from Tom Blundell (47) and James Franklin (24) propelled the score to 308 for 5.

Otago lost Hamish Rutherford in the third over of their chase, but recovered through a second-wicket stand between Aaron Redmond (96) and Michael Bracewell (60) that yielded 155 runs. They were well placed at 206 for 2 in the 37th over, but two wickets in two deliveries helped Wellington wrest the momentum. Redmond was run out for 96 and off the next ball, Jesse Ryder was caught behind for a golden duck. Wells, coming in at No. 7, waged a counterattack by drilling two fours and four sixes, but ultimately it wasn't enough.