Cricket: Wells gives Otago fighting chance

A fighting 82 by Sam Wells turned the game around for Otago and gives it a fighting chance to beat Wellington in the Plunket Shield cricket match at the Basin Reserve today.

Otago had its back to the wall overnight when it had lost three second-innings wickets and was still 29 runs short of Wellington's first-innings score.

When left-hander Wells (26) came to the crease, Otago had lost five wickets for only 135 runs and was looking down the barrel of the Wellington gun.

But solid batting by Wells and Nick Beard turned the game in Otago's favour. At stumps, Otago was 327 for eight and had a lead of 214 runs.

"We are not out of the woods yet," Otago coach Mike Hesson told the Otago Daily Times from Wellington.

"But it was an exceptional fightback by our batsman and has given us a chance."

The coach was pleased with the ninth-wicket flutter by Neil Wagner and Derek de Boorder that had added 38 runs.

"We would like to add a few more runs tomorrow," he said.

"Wellington will have to work hard to win on a day-four pitch."

Wells' score included 13 fours. This was on top of scores of 70 against Northern Districts in Queenstown and 74 against Auckland at Eden Park.

"Sam has plenty of time to play the ball and this is the mark of a class batsman," Hesson said.

Two years playing professionally in England has turned Wells from a solid batsman into a match-winner for Otago.

He plays club cricket for University-Grange, grew up in Dunedin and spent three years in the Otago Boys' High School First XI before getting a degree in law and politics from the University of Otago.

The performance of Beard brought praise from Hesson.

"Nick batted for over four hours today and this demonstrates his quality," he said.

Central Districts is making light work of what was potentially a tricky run chase as it looks set to claim maximum points from its Plunket Shield match against Auckland in Auckland, NZPA reported.

The competition leader will start the fourth and final day at Colin Maiden Park today at 98 for one and requiring just another 88 runs to secure its third successive outright victory of the campaign.

Canterbury legspinner Todd Astle delivered a rapid execution to Northern Districts yesterday morning in Whangarei.

Umpires lifted the bails at Cobham Oval just half an hour after the third day began as Astle claimed five of the six wickets to fall for just 21 runs.

Resuming at 72 for four - still 155 runs short of making Canterbury bat again - Northern Districts' second innings lasted less than seven overs, gifting the mainlanders a win by an innings and 114 runs.

 

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