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Auckland, Canterbury score Ford Trophy wins

Jimmy Neesham Auckland cricket Ford Trophy

Auckland and Canterbury have skipped clear at the top of the Ford Trophy one-day cricket standings ahead of the mid-season break.


The competition-leading Aces defeated Northern Districts by five wickets at Hamilton's Seddon Park in Round 5 on Sunday, while Canterbury scraped by Central Districts by three runs at Rangiora's Mainpower Oval.


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The Ford Trophy resume on February 6, following four-day Plunket Shield, T20 Super Smash and Black Caps internationals through November, December and January.


Former Black Caps all-rounder Jimmy Neesham was pivotal on both sides of the ball in Auckland's victory.


Neesham took 3-29 from 8.3 overs - almost matched by Louis Delport with 3-56 from 10 - as Northern Districts were rolled for 248 in the 47th over. Harry Cooper (86 from 108) and Brett Hampton (64 from 59) were ND's best with the bat.



In response, the Aces were in serious trouble at 77-4 in the 13th over as opener Finn Allen (54 from 29) and Michael Sclanders departed in a four-ball span.


But Neesham and Cam Fletcher added 110 runs for the fifth wicket at better than a run-a-ball, before Neesham (69 from 54, including five fours and five sixes) became the third victim of Scott Kuggeleijn, who finished with figures of 3-67 from 10.


Fletcher (67 not out from 62) and Simon Keene (35 not out from 22) safely negotiated the 62 remaining runs for a five-wicket win with 21 balls to spare.



Canterbury got plenty of starts but could manage only 204 all-out in the final over, with Rhys Mariu top-scoring with 41 from 63.


Ray Toole took 4-29 from 10 for Central, while former Black Cap Blair Tickner, Josh Clarkson and Jayden Lennox grabbed two wickets each.


CD made a cautious but solid start to their run-chase, with openers Brad Schmulian (34 from 76) and Curtis Heaphy (56 from 85) putting on a 98-run opening stand, before both were dismissed in the space of four balls.


Wickets continued to fall regularly as some tight bowling from Zac Foulkes and Fraser Sheat, who both took two scalps, and Gus McKenzie turned the screws. Jack Boyle (55 from 63) and Will Clark gave the visitors hope but ultimately they came up just short.



In Sunday's other match at Dunedin's University of Otago Oval, Dale Phillips (45 from 69) and Llew Johnson (78 from 59) gave the Volts a strong start, reaching 165-2 in the 29th over.


Max Chu (46 from 41) helped push Otago to 273 all-out in the final over, with Nick Greenwood taking 4-28 from seven, Adam Milne 3-34 from 9.3 and Liam Dudding 3-50 from nine for the Firebirds.


Luke Georgeson, who previously played for Wellington, took four wickets at the top, as the Firebirds slumped to 33-6 in the 12th over. Logan van Beek attempted to give the Firebirds hope with 65 from 76 but it was a lost cause, all-out for 159 in the 40th over.


The Ford Trophy resumes on February 6, following four-day Plunket Shield, T20 Super Smash and Black Caps internationals in November, December and January.

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