Otago take wooden spoon with a round to play

Northern Districts beat Otago by an innings and 28 runs at WestpacTrust Park, Hamilton. The six points that ND gain for the victory means that there will no escape from bottom place in the State Championship for Otago this season.

There were times in the first session of the day when it appeared that the southerners had a chance of building on their overnight 176/2 to save the game, but batting through more than five sessions was always likely to be asking too much.

Graeme Aldridge removed the rest of the top order, finishing with a season's best four for 43. Bruce Martin (three for 90) and Joseph Yovich (one for 66) cleaned up the tail.

Craig Cumming and Jordan Sheed extended their third-wicket partnership for an hour this morning until Cumming fell to the new ball. Aldridge removed his leg stump as he attempted to pull. Cumming scored 79 from 244 balls, with ten fours, most of them in the early stage of his innings. With Sheed he put on 78 for the third wicket.

The loss of Cumming affected Sheed's concentration. The careful shot selection that had characterised his innings deserted him. He began to flail at Yovich outside the off stump.

A one-handed six over point was the highlight of this phase, but it was a last flourish for Sheed, who fell lbw to Aldridge for 64, from 161 balls including eight fours and a six. On the evidence of this performance, Sheed will quickly establish himself in the Otago batting line-up.

Scott Waide (six), followed soon after drinks. He lost his off stump as he drove down the wrong line. Aldridge had taken three for 15 in a seven-over spell.

Craig Pryor and Duncan Drew battled through to lunch, raising Otago's hopes. But they were dashed again when four wickets fell for nine runs straight after the interval.

Martin took a deserved first wicket in his first over after the resumption. The ball turned sharply from middle and off to take the edge of Drew's bat. Wicket-keeper Robbie Hart took the catch. Drew made 11 from fifty deliveries.

No 8 batsman Nathan Morland was accompanied to the middle by Chris Gaffeney, who acted as runner. Gaffaney's services were superfluous as Morland was caught by Simon Andrews at short leg off Yovich without scoring.

Andrews was also responsible for the dismissal of Kerry Walmsley (six), when his sharp return beat the batsman to the bowler's end.

Craig Pryor was leg before wicket to Martin next ball after a dogged 26 from 101 balls, including four fours.

A lively and entertaining last wicket partnership of 55 between David Sewell (24) and Neil Rushton (30 not out) delayed the inevitable. It was appropriate that Scott Styris, whose name will remain linked with the match in the record books for years to come, should finish the game off with a catch at mid-on off Martin.

Pace bowler Yovich was helped from the field during the final stages suffering from the effects of the stifling heat. He had a drip inserted and was taken to hospital for a check-up, but seemed on the way to recovery as he left the ground.

Otago's second innings lasted for almost four sessions, always a creditable effort on the last two days of a four-day match. They lost the game on the first day when they were bowled out for 118 in 48 overs on the first day.

ND never looked like surrendering their advantage. Styris' historic 212 not out dominated the reply, but ND coach Bruce Blair was also keen to stress that the team performance had been of a high standard.

"It's got to be the main pre-requisite for first-class and international batters that you've got to be hungry and you've got to want to occupy the crease," he told CricInfo. "We haven't shown an awful lot of that over the past season, though there have been some very good individual performances along the way. It was good to see Grant [Robinson], Michael Parlane, Robbie [Hart] and Scott [Styris] collectively getting their heads down and build partnerships that we could hang an innings off."

Blair stressed that the good quality of the WestpacTrust Park pitch meant that it was always going to be hard to bowl Otago out in the second innings. "It's a pitch where the bowlers are going to have to work hard to get wickets, especially if the batters play down the ground. It's a good first-class wicket," he said.

At the end of a season of near misses ND will finish in the bottom half of the table. Blair is certain that long-term progress has been made.

"Whilst we're not sitting on top of the four-day competition, the hard work that we're putting in with individuals is paying off," he said.

Otago travel to Napier to play Central Districts in the last round of the State Championship, while Northern Districts visit Canterbury. Both games begin on Sunday.