Canterbury and Otago fall to Academy Selection

New Zealand's Cricket Academy Selection notched two more winning performances in recent days in appearances against Canterbury and Otago at Lincoln Green. The batsmanship of the Selection side who have clearly benefited from this year's programme was the significant factor in both matches.

In the first, Jesse Ryder maintained his scoring bent of the past few weeks by scoring another half-century, this time off 54 balls, but no sooner had he achieved that mark than he paid the price for attempting to push the scoring pace along and was bowled by slow left-arm bowler Dean Commyns.

The Selection side had been well-placed at 85 for one, but with Ryder's dismissal at that score, the side failed to capitalist. And while several starts were made, the only efforts of significance belonged to Peter Fulton, 43, and Tama Canning's 38 not out.

Grant Elliott was the best of the Canterbury bowlers taking 3 for 35. Canterbury's response was very disappointing. While it recovered from a poor start with three wickets down for 59 runs, the recovery to 110 before the next fell, merely signalled the loss of six wickets for the addition of only 22 more runs. James Hantz with 36 fared best of the batsmen with Shanan Stewart scoring 33. But it was the Selection bowlers Michael Mason with 3 for 17, Aaron Redmond 3 for 25 and Canning 2 for 31 who did the damage.

It was a similar story in the match against Otago. Although the selection were dismissed for a much lower score of 187, this was due to the reduction of the game to 35 overs after run in mid-morning forced a lengthy delay. Ross Taylor (44) and Mark Orchard (42) gave substance to the Academy Selection innings with left-armer David Sewell's 3 for 35 doing the most damage for Otago.

Otago's cause in response was not helped by the first-over dismissal of Chris Gaffaney when he gave Mason a return catch. Mohammad Wasim scored 13 off 13 balls but was then out to Orchard's bowling. In the middle stages of their innings, Otago lost four wickets for six runs as Mason and Canning took two wickets each. Mason ended with 5 for 23 in an impressive showing and Canning 2 for 1 as Otago were out for 72 off only 19.5 overs.

Brief scoreboards:

New Zealand Academy Selection 242-8 (J Ryder 51, P Fulton 43, T Canning 38*, G Elliott 3-35, B Donkers 2-45) beat Canterbury 132 (J Hantz 36, S Stewart 33, M Mason 3-17, A Redmond 3-25, T Canning 2-31 ) by 110 runs

New Zealand Academy Selection 187 (R Taylor 44, M Orchard 42, A Redmond 29, D Sewell 3-35, B Scott 2-35, N Morland 2-44) beat Otago 72-9 (M Mason 5-23, T Canning 2-1)by 115 runs