Northern Districts seal opening win

A pair of fifties from the two Daniels - Flynn and Harris - ensured Northern Districts had enough runs to keep Otago at bay, as they opened their HRV Cup campaign with a nine-run victory in Dunedin. Northern Districts batted first, with the openers Brad Wilson and Flynn putting on 49.

After Wilson was removed for 27, Flynn was joined by Harris, and the pair had a 69-run partnership. Flynn finally fell for 57 off 48 balls, which included three sixes and fours. Scott Styris chipped in with 14, but the rest of the lower order failed to add anything significant. Harris finished on 68 when he was run out by Neil Broom off the penultimate ball of the innings. Northern Districts reached 183 for 6.

Otago, playing their first HRV Cup match since winning the tournament last year, got off to a belter as Broom and Jesse Ryder put on 65. Both openers fell by the 10th over, as Otago looked to build a strong platform to mount a chase of a competitive score. Aaron Redmond, coming in at No. 3, played an integral innings of 50 not out off 31 balls, as he and Ryan ten Doeschate combined for 76 runs for the third wicket.

When ten Doeschate departed with the score on 147 for 3, Otago still required 37 runs off the final nine balls. Some inspired hitting from Redmond was not enough to close the gap, and Otago fell short by just nine runs.

The match between Canterbury and Otago in Dunedin on November 8 was abandoned without a ball bowled on account of heavy rain on the morning of the match.