Canterbury move clear

Canterbury 254 beat Northern Districts 181 by 73 runs
Scorecard

Canterbury took advantage of a washout in Wellington, to move four points clear at the top of the State Shield table. After Chris Harris had won the toss for Canterbury, Michael Papps and Peter Fulton continued their remarkable run of form with a brace of 72s. They added 119 for the second wicket, but the rest of the batsmen were unable to match their standards, and Canterbury were all out in the last over for 254.

Papps is now the most prolific run-scorer this season with 366 to date, while Fulton has scored 265. They took a particular liking to Ian Butler, who was walloped for 69 in 10 overs, but Graeme Aldridge took 4 for 33 and Joseph Yovich 3 for 52, to battle back in contention.

But Northern Districts' season of woe continued when they slumped to 97 for 7, and it was only a last-wicket stand of 62 between Aldridge and Butler that enabled to save face. It beat their previous tenth-wicket record of 43, between Roydon Hayes and Richard de Groen against Canterbury in 1995-96.

Butler hit out superbly to score 40 not out off 34 balls. However, Canterbury continue to rumble through the competition, thanks in particular to their restrictive bowling. Harris showed the way with 3 for 18 from his 10 overs while Warren Wisneski opened up with 1 for 14 off six.

Central Districts 239 for 3 beat Otago 238 by seven wickets
Scorecard

Ross Taylor scored a superb maiden one-day century, as Central Districts helped themselves to a seven-wicket win over Otago at Carisbrook. Central Districts won the toss and put Otago in, but waited for more than an hour for their first breakthrough, when Craig Cumming fell for 28. Mohammad Wasim scored 66 off 86 balls, but he lacked support from the middle order.

Only Gareth Hopkins and Jeff Wilson hung around, as they added 62 for the fifth wicket. Hopkins made 35 off 41 balls and Wilson 66 off 59, as he showed no ill-effects of his hand injury. Otago finished on 238 for 8, and each of the six CD bowlers used took a wicket. But Otago were at least 30 runs short of par after losing their way in the latter part of the innings.

Craig Spearman and Jamie How helped CD to a comfortable 90 for 2, before Taylor took over in outstanding fashion. He has been in ominous form all season, and finally came good as anticipated. He added 118 with Mathew Sinclair (32), before Jarrod Englefield joined him to polish off the victory. Taylor finished unbeaten on 132 from 136 balls, including five sixes and nine fours, and has now made 304 runs already this summer.

Wellington v Auckland - match abandoned

Scorecard

The Wellington-Auckland game at the Basin Reserve was abandoned well before the scheduled start at 12 noon. The teams took two points each, but Wellington slipped back in the table.

Points table Canterbury 18, Wellington 14, Central Districts 14, Auckland 13, Otago 12, Northern Districts 4.