Heavy defeat but Kitchen leaves in style

Perhaps it was fitting the game footage featured a large pillar covering a third of the screen — because Otago lost two towers of strength to retirement yesterday.

It also lost the game to Auckland, which grabbed a spot in the Ford Trophy final against Central Districts in Queenstown on Saturday with a 96-run win at Eden Park Outer Oval.

Openers Martin Guptill (137) and George Worker (122) set up the win with a list A record partnership for Auckland.

More on their fabulous knocks later because the day belong to the vanquished in some ways.

Long-serving right-hander Neil Broom announced last week this would be his last game for the province. But Anaru Kitchen sprang the news on his team-mates the day before the game. And he went out in style.

The 38-year-old clubbed seven sixes and two fours in an unbeaten 106 from 95 balls.

Broom was not able to get going. He was dismissed for two but has been an outstanding player for Otago.

He is the Volts leading all-time scorer in both one-day and twenty20 cricket and second on the list for first-class runs.

Kitchen started his career in Auckland before shifting south to Otago in 2015-16 in search of fresh opportunities.

He worked on his left-arm spin and established himself in the side as a valuable all-rounder.

Kitchen was called into the Black Caps twenty20 side in late 2017 and played five matches for his country.

He leaves the game having scored more than 10,000 run across the three formats, including 10 first-class and five list A hundreds.

That fifth one was not enough to help Otago avoid defeat.

Guptill and Worker added 260 from 215 balls to help the Aces post 380 for six.

Guptill kept depositing sixes down the ground in trademark style, and also got down on one knee to slog sweep Michael Rippon for three sixes as well.

The ball was making a satisfyingly meaty sound as it left his bat, often speeding towards the rope for one of his 10 fours or seven sixes.

The left-handed Worker played square of the wicket beautifully and also swivelled into some cracking pull shots.

He scored 14 fours and two sixes in his haul.

They left the rest of the Aces order a tremendous platform. Glenn Phillips, who pummelled 122 not out against Canterbury on Sunday, swatted 68 from 41. He is in blistering form but got out trying a reverse sweep to a yorker and lost his middle stump.

Otago seamer Angus McKenzie took three for 66 which was a very decent effort given the context.

The Volts batted positively but the chase fizzled out at 284 for six.

Rookie Auckland seamer Simon Keene picked up four quick wickets.

As well as a spot in the final, the Aces claimed the Ross Dykes Memorial trophy which was contested for the first time.

Dykes, who died in 2020, made a big contribution to the sport as a national selector, administrator and player.

He played his domestic cricket for Auckland but served as Otago Cricket Association chief executive for 10 years before retiring in 2015.

Otago coach Dion Ebrahim could not be reached for comment.

 

AUCKLAND

M Guptill c Phillips b McKenzie 137

G Worker b McKenzie 122

G Phillips b Bacon 68

M Chapman c Kelly b McKenzie 2

R O'Donnell c Muller b Bacon 7

B Horne b Duffy 14

S Solia not out 10

W Somerville not out 67

Extras (4lb, 8w, 1nb) 13

Total (6 wkts, 50 overs) 380

Fall: 1-260, 2-273, 3-283, 4-305, 5-362,
6-366.

Bowling: J Duffy 10-0-76-1 (1w, 1nb); T
Muller 7-0-67-0 (1w); A Kitchen 10-0-59-0 (4w);
A McKenzie 10-0-66-3; M Bacon 8-0-55-2 (2w);
M Rippon 5-0-53-0.

OTAGO

D Phillips c Ashok b Keene 47

M Renwick c O'Donnell b Keene 28

N Broom c Chapman b Keene 2

N Kelly c Chapman b Somerville 23

M Rippon c Somerville b Keene 0

A Kitchen not out 106

M Chu c Ashok b Phillips 5

T Muller not out 54

Extras (9lb, 10w) 19

Total (6 wkts, 50 overs) 284

Fall: 1-71, 2-81, 3-91, 4-94, 5-125, 6-162.

Bowling: B Lister 5-0-31-0 (1w); S Solia
9-0-58-0 (3w); S Keene 10-0-47-4 (3w); W
Somerville 10-1-38-1 (1w); A Ashok 10-0-67-0
(2w); G Phillips 6-0-34-1.

 

Result:  Auckland won by 96 runs