Astle sets the tone and Canterbury respond

Canterbury kept their semi-final hopes alive with a comfortable seven-wicket win over a disappointing Auckland team at Jade Stadium today.

Auckland looked like a beaten team when batting first and managing to score only 161 runs.

Canterbury, bolstered by the presence of Nathan Astle attempting to prove his fitness to return to Australia to join the VB Series campaign with the CLEAR Black Caps, stormed home and gained a bonus point which, if it can beat Central Districts on Tuesday in Christchurch, should just about ensure Canterbury of that semi-finals berth.

There is a lot of reason for Canterbury not to be caught napping by CD, especially after last season's loss in the finals series of the national competition.

Matthew Horne, the country's leading Shield run scorer this summer, provided the bulk of the Auckland's early scoring with 54 runs. He chanced his arm, rode his luck and tempted fate with some of his shots but he refused to be put off by the breaks that came his way and scored 54 off 80 balls and when dismissed had seen the 100 posted.

However, Auckland kept losing wickets at a steady rate and there was no impetus to the batting once Horne's contribution was taken out.

Richard Morgan had a lower-order larrup to score 25 in a hurry but generally it was the home bowlers who made best use of the conditions.

Astle looked like a horse that had been confined to the stables for a month. Once let out onto the paddock he was in the thick of everything.

Catching, completing run outs and bowling superbly with his 10 overs resulting in three for 26. That alone had to be highly encouraging for the national selectors as they look to their bowling options in the second half of the VB Series.

Then with the bat, he thrashed the Auckland bowlers Chris Drum and Morgan in typical Astle fashion to race to 35 off 34 balls, including six fours while sharing a second wicket partnership of 67 with Paul Wiseman.

Astle was not commenting about how he felt after the game but there was no doubt he gave the side an extra edge that it will be seeking again on Tuesday as it looks to solidify its position.

Canterbury captain Gary Stead, who played some superb shots, including one glorious cover drive off Tama Canning, while scoring 40 runs before Canning trapped him leg before wicket, said he would have batted first had he won the toss.

"The pleasing thing is that every toss I've lost, we have won the game.

"Our preference though, was to set the total and apply the pressure with the bowling," he said.

Wiseman proved another trump card for Canterbury. He achieved his highest score in one-day cricket and was unbeaten at the end on 65 not out off 91 balls. Initially, he started hooking and pulling with sublime confidence. As Auckland continued its short-pitched approach he tempered his shots and placed them better and was happy to take singles.

Then as the leg-spinner Brooke Walker came into the action he let loose three reverse sweep shots that produced runs on each occasion they were used.

Stead said the thinking in promoting Wiseman was based on the fact he had been hitting the ball well recently, better even than some of the side's recognised batsmen.

"He's not scared to play the short ball and the way they bowled to him played into his own hands," he said.

Stead was especially pleased with the Canterbury bowling, and in particular Astle and Stephen Cunis who took three for 32 from his 10 overs. Auckland had lost seven wickets for 66 runs in the latter part of their innings, largely as the result of the pressure the pair applied.

Auckland pinned a lot of faith in the bowling of Drum and Morgan in attempting to defend their small total.

They each bowled eight overs unchanged but apart from the first over dismissal of Shanan Stewart it did not prove to be an especially successful tactic.