Revised total proves too tough for Otago at home

In a game interrupted twice by rain, Northern Districts defeated Otago at Carisbrook in a revised Duckworth/Lewis run chase by 90 runs.

In a game which never reached any great heights, on a good pitch for batting, the highlight was a fine 98 from Matthew Hart for ND.

He was backed by a fine 53 from his team-mate Joseph Yovich. They put on 120 for the fifth wicket.

Winning the toss and batting, ND slumped to 77 for four wickets, but were still only in the 20th over.

But led by Hart and Yovich they reach 197 before the fifth wicket fell in the 45th over.

Hart faced 94 balls and hit three sixes and eight fours in his 98 and fell with two balls of the innings left. Meanwhile, Yovich had faced 80 balls in scoring his 53, only the second half century of his 41-match domestic one-day career.

Shayne O'Connor with none for 39 from his 10 impressed again and has one of the better economy rates of the season at 3.96. However, Kerry Walmsley with two for 53 and James McMillan (two for 59) came in for some stick. Nathan Morland again impressed with his control and tenacity in ending with none for 41 from 10.

The day which had promised 26 degrees never quite reached it but warm conditions of the type prevailing today meant that rain at some stage of the day was inevitable.

Over an hour was lost and the revised total for Otago of 199 from 33 overs at 6.31 was always going to be too much for a bedraggled-looking Otago team. The original five per over was testing enough but the rain gods saw to it that a further challenge was necessary.

Only Otago's captain Craig Cumming, with 32, showed any batsmanship and the southerners failed miserably to be all out for 108.

Coach Glenn Turner must be tearing at his hair as his long-awaited Indian summer which started to beckon in late-December and early-January has turned to custard.

Bowling for ND, Scott Styris took three for 20 from seven overs while Yovich rounded out a good day with two for 13. Daniel Vettori had two for 17 off 6.3 overs while Daryl Tuffey and Ian Butler took a wicket each.

Yet, because of the nature of the points table which has become separated by only four points between the six sides, there is still a chance that Otago could qualify for the second and third-place playoff to decide the second finalist. But it will require a significant turnaround in fortunes.