Bond's comeback no help for Canterbury
Central Districts, Otago and Northern Districts were the winners in the opening round of the State Twenty20
Cricinfo staff
19-Jan-2008
Shane Bond's comeback from an abdominal muscle strain, amid speculation he has signed with the Indian Cricket League, could not help his side Canterbury in their Twenty20 loss to Central Districts in Christchurch. Bond took 0 for 38 from his four overs as Central Districts cruised to 186 for 6, with Ross Taylor smashing five sixes in his 19-ball 46. Chris Harris, who is used to the Twenty20 format after joining the ICL, made 47 in the chase but had little support as Brendon Diamanti collected 3 for 14. Canterbury were all out for 120 in the 18th over, crashing to a 66-run loss.
The Northern Districts captain James Marshall posted an unbeaten 58 to help his side to victory over Wellington in Hamilton. Marshall guided Northern Districts to 133 for 3 in the 16th over as they overhauled Wellington's 131 for 8 with little drama. Grant Elliott top scored for the visitors with 34 but regular wickets meant they could not gather significant momentum.
Bradley Scott helped Otago secure a 60-run win in Dunedin, grabbing 3 for 9 as Auckland were rattled out for 94. Rob Nicol tried to guide Auckland's chase and made 43 but his team-mates fell apart and could get nowhere near Otago's 154 for 7. Nathan McCullum's 38 from 20 balls was the best individual effort for Otago.
| Team | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | N/R | Pts | Net RR | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Dist | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +3.300 | 186/20.0 | 120/20.0 |
| Otago | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +3.000 | 154/20.0 | 94/20.0 |
| Northern Dis | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +2.031 | 133/15.3 | 131/20.0 |
| Wellington | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.031 | 131/20.0 | 133/15.3 |
| Auckland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3.000 | 94/20.0 | 154/20.0 |
| Canterbury | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3.300 | 120/20.0 | 186/20.0 |