Central Stags captain GREG HAY put the icing on the cake with a national first-class record on top of a winning run chase yesterday at Seddon Park.

The Stags calmly chased down 254 in just over two sessions for a 7-wicket victory that saw them claim 15 of a possible 20 points in the opening match of the season.

That was enough to promote them to third on the table for a healthy start to 2020/21, and it came after three annoying days of largely sitting around playing cards, occasionally interrupted by ND working away on a century opening stand.

The sun returned on a muggy day four, by which time the pace of the greentop had been tempered. However, after DOUG BRACEWELL struck with his third cherry of the morning and Hay then lifted the side with a spectacular leaping, diving catch to dismiss his opposing captain, the tempo of the match picked up quickly, triggering a collapse.

BRAD SCHMULIAN had entered the attack with ND at 185/3 in the 55th over and took a wrecking ball with him as his legspinners and googly rustled up a quick three wickets, including Tim Southee and Neil Wagner in a double wicket maiden.

Leading the spin department in the absence of AJAZ PATEL, and with the Stags seam attack down a paceman after BLAIR TICKNER injured a hamstring early in the game, the bowling department acquitted themselves well with Bracewell's presence and experience keeping ND on their toes.

After three days without a single bonus point to either side, now the points were coming and the Stags were on the cusp of a full set of four bowling bonuses when Carter declared at 253/8.

Both captains then forfeited their next innings to put 12 outright points on the table, leaving 254 for the win in just over two sessions, against an attack that featured BLACKCAPS Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Colin de Grandhomme, Scott Kuggeleijn and the highly regarded ND regular Jimmy Baker. Ish Sodhi was absent, replaced by fellow spinner Josef Walker under the precautionary COVID-19 substitute rule.

It was a gamble that didn't pay off for Carter as GEORGE WORKER (96, below) and GREG HAY (93) shrugged off the peppering of short balls to amass a solid platform of their own.

The experienced duo put on 177 in 51.3 overs with Worker laying into Wagner before a tragic hook cost him his century. Hay marched on into the 66th over before he also fell victim to the steaming BLACKCAP, but only six runs remained to win the game by then.

Whilst neither opener got to lift the bat for a deserved hundred, Hay could take personal consolation from having equalled the New Zealand first-class record for most consecutive half centuries, sharing that honour with the legendary lefthander Bert Sutcliffe, CD's Mathew Sinclair, Matt Bell, James Franklin and Bruce Pairaudeau. Outstanding consistency from the captain.

ROSS TAYLOR suffered a first-baller after having been waiting around or padded up for an eternity, but WILL YOUNG brought impetus at three that ensured the Stags' chase ran smoothly through the last 78 minutes to victory, achieved with 26 balls to spare.

The Stags now head to Eden Park Outer Oval in Auckland to play the top of the table Aces who are coming off an innings victory over the Otago Volts.

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Article added: Friday 23 October 2020