TOM BRUCE's 10th first-class century and a fighting finish from the Stags' strong bowling unit helped the Central Stags collect a key Plunket Shield win in Dunedin this week.

Round three results have shaken up the national leaderboard with the Wellington Firebirds joining Northern Districts at the top of the table after a weather-impacted draw in the capital, while the Stags' cliffhanger win in Dunedin plus a convincing display from Canterbury in Christchurch has seen the latter teams move up in the right direction.

The Stags now get ready for another big clash, against Canterbury at Napier's McLean Park next week - the last first-class game this side of Christmas and the midpoint of the red-ball defence. They will head in just three points behind the joint leaders, with a maximum of 20 points up for grabs if they can overcome the visitors, who were last summer's runners-up.

Bolstered by Henry Nicholls who has scored two centuries in two matches, Canterbury has been running hot, and was unlucky not to have won the previous week, against the Volts, when weather intervened in Christchurch. The Stags then had their own run-ins with less than pleasant cricket weather in Dunedin this week, with bad light threatening to end the Otago Volts' fourth innings chase when the Stags needed just four more wickets for victory.

With spinners AJAZ PATEL and BRAD SCHMULIAN required to bowl out the overs in the light conditions, the Stags closed in as the tweakers did the business with four wickets in the space of the last 18 balls.

The Volts had been five down at the start of the last hour at a wintry, wind-whipped Uni Oval and, until then, looked poised to snatch the match away from the Stags, who had battled their way back into contention with a patient second innings.

The eight-wicket win propelled the Stags to 39 points, while fourth-placed Canterbury sits on 31 points.

RECAP

DAY ONE

Dunedin sure turned it on for the Volts' first home match of the summer, greeting the Stags with a brisk southerly.

To be fair, the sun was still streaming, and occasionally got warm enough to remind everyone that summer would eventually arrive in the lower reaches of the country.

When Stags captain GREG HAY lost his third toss in a row, opposing skipper Dean Foxcroft had no hesitation in bowling first.

It would be a typically torrid morning session at this time of year, with four of the Stags' top five all sent back for single digit scores.

Lunch paused the fluttering of the tins at 52/4, captain Hay having gritted his teeth through to 22*, while JOSH CLARKSON had applied himself for 10* off 44 balls. He survived another dozen balls after lunch before Jarrod McKay got his first wicket of the game, against a fellow Nelson representative.

The leader of the Volts pack, Jacob Duffy, had already had a field day with two early wickets, supported by Matt Bacon and Jake Gibson.

Duffy would go on to remove the key obstacle of Hay on 59, by which time the Stags were 120/7.

The tailenders took over after tea to push that tally to 182 all out, valuable runs having come from a 44-stand between Patel (23, fresh off his naming in the Test squad that morning) and BRETT RANDELL (29).

All images | PHOTOSPORT
 

Thirteen wickets would ultimately fall on the opening day, after the Stags blasted out three single-digit top order wickets of their own before stumps. Randell made a top start, striking twice in three balls in his very first over, trapping both Jacob Cumming and Dale Phillips.

DOUG BRACEWELL, who had another strong game, was too good for Foxcroft, the Volts ending an action-packed day at 35/3.

DAY TWO

As reliable as ever, the class pace allrounder picked up 4/39 for the Stags as the fightback continued at a still windy, fresh Oval.

Bracewell collacted his 250th first-class wicket for the Stags in the process, becoming just the fourth in the team to do so - following in the footsteps of Patel who took his 250th for the Stags last week in Nelson, former Test spinner DAVE O'SULLIVAN (392), and paceman MICHAEL MASON (263).

Bracewell was well supported by the rest of the attack, as well as by wicketkeeper DANE CLEAVER, dismissing the hosts for 210 that afternoon.

It had all been too easy bar one partnership, for the Stags had had to double down to break the 98-run stand for the fifth between young guns Thorn Parkes (70) and Jamal Todd (48).

Parkes had scored his maiden century against them late last summer, while teenager Todd was in just his third match, and had impressed already in the previous round with his maiden half ton.

The Stags ended the day at 61 without loss as they ground into their second innings, needing to show their true capability with the bat, Jack Boyle unbeaten on 43* and rock Hay on 16 not out after a patient display, an overnight lead of 33 in 27 overs of play.

DAY THREE

How would you like to go to stumps on 99 not out?

That's exactly the position in which Bruce found himself after surviving a nervous last few overs with last man RAY TOOLE for company, the Stags nine down on a deck that was still not the easiest for batting.

A fresh southerly continued to whip the ground, temperatures barely getting into the teens. Rain interrupted after tea, but it had been a good day for the visitors as they dug in with the bat.

The Volts, too, had their moments, wicketkeeper Max Chu kept busy behind the sticks: four catches, including a well judged effort to collect a skied edge from Clarkson that travelled on the wind.

Clarkson's half century had provided an important partnership for the Stags at a critical point in the game. He combined with Bruce, putting on 88 for the fifth wicket.

When Bracewell replaced Clarkson and helped put on a further 46, the Stags were shaping a decent overall lead in the conditions.

Greg Hay | PHOTOSPORT

Earlier in the day, the openers had laid the foundation with an important 80-run stand. The captain's 39 took more than two and a half hours, while Boyle (47) just missed a half century after two hours of support.

The Stags grappled their way to 124/4 at lunch and by tea that had become 176/4 with the grey skies now letting loose some showery mischief.

Bruce had the worst of the light in the final session, but weather wasn't going to stop him after exactly five hours in the middle. Running out of partners might.

BLAIR TICKNER had departed when he was on 93* but Toole was still there in support by stumps for an overall overnight lead of 297, with one wicket in hand at 325/9.

DAY FOUR

After the cliffhanger of the previous evening, the tension continued with covers staying on at the scheduled start of play.

The covers came off, everyone got their hopes up - and then down again, as the rain stopped by and further delayed the first session. An early lunch was taken, until finally - at a quarter to two - Bruce twiddled his bat, ready to take strike and resume on 99*.

Despite the drawn-out wait in which nervous anticipation can ferment, it didn't take him long to reach his 10th first-class century, running a three before captain Hay declared at 332/9.

The Volts now needed a brisk 305 to win, in a minimum of 62 overs, if the weather and light held. It didn't get off to a good start for them, with Bracewell bowling Luke Georgeson in an action replay of the first innings dismissal.

Soon it was 42/2, and 43/3, with Jacob Cumming, caught behind off Patel, and Foxcroft - chopping on against Tickner, also departing. Could the young Parkes again be a thorn in Central's side?

By tea, Parkes had galloped to 33* off 51 balls, with anchorman Dale Phillips on a more sedate 39*. The hosts still required a further 193 from the last session, at slightly more than run-a-ball.

Tickner took his 199th first-class wicket in the last session, accounting for Jamal Todd, while Bracewell had stopped Parkes on 40. But obstacles still stood in their way, including the clock on the scoreboard.

The last hour was taken with the Volts 193/5, and the Stags needing wickets in a hurry.

First drop Phillips was still anchoring the innings, having gone past 50, and still with a recognised batsman at the crease for company in Max Chu. They pushed past the team 200, the hosts now needing fewer than 100 runs to win, at some seven runs per over.

The tantalising proposition saw them both smack sixes as the chase burst into life. Clarkson was caned, forcing Hay to bring back Bracewell - who dismissed Chu for his third wicket.

Jake Gibson immediately smacked him for back-to-back boundaries however, to make the equation 62 off 54 balls. The pendulum was swining, and the light was also fading. A conference with the men in black strides ensued before Patel resumed, with spinners to see out the game. Two balls later, Patel claimed the seventh wicket - Gibson, feathering behind.

Duffy joined Phillips, who was by now in the 80s. His stay was a short one, however, as the Stags leg-spinning Schmulian took a huge wicket, with 54 runs still required and now just two in hand.

Cliffhanger, anyone?

Meanwhile in Wellington, the Firebirds and ND were off for rain, putting even more on the outcome of this match for the Stags. A win would take them to just three points below the top of the table.

Patel (3/85) struck again quickly: Bacon caught, the Volts nine down, 51 runs off 39 balls still needed with Mckay the last man in.

The match would last just another four deliveries before Schmulian (2/20) joyously wrapped it up with the big one: Phillips, bowled after his gutsy 85.

The Stags are back in business, and will begin the FREE admission fourth round match on Wednesday at McLean Park.

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Article added: Friday 10 November 2023