The resumption of one-day cricket's Ford Trophy produced high-scoring matches — including a last-ball thriller — across the country on a blistering Waitangi Day.
Canterbury set the Otago Volts a 323-run chase at University of Otago Oval in Dunedin after Scott Janett’s maiden List-A one-day century (115 off as many balls) underpinned their total of 322-7 on Thursday.
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In a remarkable match, 643 runs were scored after the Volts responded with a Llew Johnson century (115 off 118 balls) in the reply of 321-7.
But it was last-ball heartbreak for the hosts, after Canterbury allrounder Zak Foulkes put himself on a hat-trick with the wickets of Johnson and Ben Lockrose.
Johnson had just belted a six, and the Volts had needed just three runs off three balls before Foulkes’s last-minute intervention - and when Andrew Hazeldine scrambled just a leg bye off the final ball, Canterbury had snatched the dramatic one-run victory to go top of the table.
Canterbury's rise came at the expense of the Auckland Aces, who could not stop Central Distrits from roaring yet again in Auckland.
Central's Brett Randell produced his third List-A five-wicket bag, but the Aces piled on 285 at Eden Park Outer Oval after captain Sean Solia elected to bat.
It still was not enough for the hosts, after Tom Bruce carried his Super Smash form straight over into the Ford Trophy, pumping his career-best one-day century (139 off 124 balls) as part of a new CD fourth-wicket record partnership, Curtis Heaphy bringing it home unbeaten on 85 off 91 balls, with two overs to spare.
Surprisingly, it was just Bruce’s second century in the limited overs format, but he had also had a share in the previous Central fourth-wicket record of 147, with Will Young. With Heaphy, he smashed that record, taking it to 183.
Central's six-wicket victory lifted them above the Volts to fourth on the table.
The Aces, Canterbury and the Wellington Firebirds headed into the back half of the national one-day championship in the top-three spots, and ended Round 6 in second, first and third, respectively, with Canterbury’s thriller giving them a thin two-point lead.
Meanwhile, Northern Districts, who had squeaked to 200 after electing to bat in Wellington, remain anchored to the foot of the ladder.
They had their work cut out trying to hold off the Firebirds, who chased down their target with four overs to spare for a four-wicket win at the Basin Reserve.
Round 7 of the Ford Trophy takes the free-admission action to Whangārei (Northern Districts vs Central Districts), Christchurch (Canterbury vs Wellington Firebirds) and Dunedin (Otago Volts vs Auckland Aces) on Monday, from 10.30am.
In the meantime, the women’s one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield championship resumes with twin one-day rounds across the weekend at New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park (Central Hinds vs Northern Districts), Auckland’s Eden Park Outer Oval (Auckland Hearts vs Otago Sparks) and the Basin Reserve (Wellington Blaze vs Canterbury Magicians), from 10.30am on Saturday.