Fight for first innings points even at Rangiora

Canterbury's post-lunch tail-end collapse, and a solid reply from Northern Districts of 126/3, has left the battle for first innings points in the balance after day two of a hard-fought Shell Trophy match at Rangiora.

However, with half of the match gone and a total of only 13 wickets taken the chances of either team forcing an outright result appear slim.

A gritty knock of 43 from Gareth Hopkins guided Canterbury safely through the first session for the loss of only Aaron Redmond for 41. At 338/6 heading into the middle session Canterbury would have been targeting a score in excess of 400. But after lunch the final four wickets fell for the addition of only six runs, raising suspicions that Laurie Mains, friend Suzie the tea lady had emigrated from Johannesburg to take up a catering position in North Canterbury.

Left-arm spinner Bruce Martin picked up his third consecutive five-wicket bag against the Cantabs and the figures of the innings, but he benefited from bowling in tandem with a miserly Grant Bradburn.

Bradburn's superb control over line and length, combined with his experience and batting ability should see him considered as a viable spin option for this season/s one-day international matches.

Joseph Yovich bowled with pace and aggression to pick up three wickets. His performance, also, would not have gone unnoticed by the three Black Caps selectors in attendance on day two.

Requiring 345 for first innings points, Northern began its innings cautiously on a pitch lacking in pace and bounce.

Surely an indictment of the pitch, 470 runs have been scored with only one player (Gary Stead) reaching 50. But while runs have been hard to come by on the benign surface, so have wickets.

Carl Anderson made the initial breakthrough for Canterbury picking up the wicket of James Marshall in fortuitous fashion. Marshall attempted a cut at the second rank half-tracker of the over but a bottom edge ballooned off wicket keeper Gareth Hopkins' foot and into the hands of Chris Harris at slip. Umpire Steve Dunn consulted with Peter Parker at square leg before raising his finger to the visibly upset Marshall.

Anderson looked to have benefited from some lengthy spells in the recent clash with Auckland. In the round two match at QEII's Village Green he started poorly and was initially expensive, but improved with every spell. Eight of his first 10 overs today were maidens.

Stephen Cunis (funny name that, Cunis - neither one thing nor the other really) was the pick of the Canterbury bowlers, troubling all of the Northern batsmen but picking up just the one wicket in 18 overs of accurate, demanding medium pace.

Hayden Shaw was the only other Canterbury wicket-taker, picking up an out of touch Michael Parlane for 45, 10 minutes before stumps.

The best chance of a result would appear to be the pitch breaking up and accepting gratuitous amounts of spin, but a good covering of grass makes that unlikely.