Sport 26 Ashburton Guardian
www.guardianonline.co.nz
Saturday, January 20, 2018
In brief
■ CRICKET
Shield battle hots up By Matt MarkhaM
matt.m@theguardian.co.nz
The race for Mid Canterbury cricket’s Pritchard Shield will really intensify this weekend with two big matches on the cards in the penultimate round. Defending champions, Allenton, have all the work to do if they are to lift the premier slice of silverware again after they were beaten by Coldstream last week in a low-scoring affair, while Lauriston get their chance. They take on the current competition leaders, Lauriston, who, if successful, will put one hand on the shield for the season if they can beat the defending champions. They’re coming off an easy win against the hapless Methven last week, but will again rely on their big names to stand up and be counted when they take on the side who handed them their only defeat thus far in the competition. That means guys like Bevan Richen and Scott Morgan will be called on to lead from the front, while the younger stars of the side like Alex Hooper will need to continue their good form. Allenton captain Jeff Naish will probably just be happy to get back into a grass wicket after a switch to the artificial last weekend did no good for their prospects. There’s no doubting the ability in his side, but if they want to do what seems unthinkable – they will have to pull out big victories against Lauriston this week and then Methven in the final round to even bring themselves into contention. Today’s other match, between Tech Stags and Coldstream, looks set to be a cracker. Both sides have won their last
Huge match for U19s New Zealand’s unbeaten record at the under-19 cricket World Cup is on the line as they prepare to tackle South Africa in their final pool game in Tauranga today. Both the Kiwis and South Africa have recorded impressive wins over the West Indies and Kenya, and already secured a place in the final eight but top seeding in Group A remains up for grabs. Auckland batsman Finn Allen has racked up 205 runs across two matches, and is keen to keep the winning run going before they enter the knockout stages. - NZME
Milne OK for final Black Caps quick Adam Milne has returned from injury in time to be included in the Central Districts’ squad for the Twenty20 domestic final. Milne, 25, has been named in a 14-man squad for the decider against Northern Districts in Hamilton today. The injuryprone speedster hasn’t played for five weeks, since injuring a foot ahead of New Zealand’s one-day international series against the West Indies in December. He is in line for selection alongside fringe Black Caps seamers Seth Rance and Ben Wheeler, along with the competition’s leading wicket-taker Blair Tickner. - NZME
Heat crash and burn
Bevan Richen will be required to be on his best form for Lauriston against Allenton. PHOTO TETSURO MITOMO 221016-TM-0024
two matches and with a plethora of star names in both line-ups it could easily become the match of the weekend. Both teams are still in contention for the Pritchard and the winner this week will get a real shot at the prize if a few results can fall their way. Coldstream had the bye last week so will be firing on all cylinders to keep themselves in contention and look to those with the surname Print to do the dam-
age with the ball once again to allow their batsmen a chance to flourish. Tech have the slightly more arduous task of having to play Coldstream this week and then head to Lauriston for the final round. Victory this week could mean that their destiny is their own hands, so big performances from all their usual suspects will be on the pre-ordered menu as well. The spanners in the works this
weekend, however, is a Hawke Cup match on the Ashburton Oval which will draw some players away from the competition. Mid Canterbury are taking on Southland in the two-day match on Mid Canterbury’s premier wicket.
At a glance
Allenton v Lauriston on Allenton 1 at 12pm. Tech v Coldstream on Technical at 12pm.
More than a T20 specialist, says Sodhi On the eve of four big Twenty20 games and a likely Indian Premier League contract, New Zealand’s Ish Sodhi wants to talk up his qualities beyond the shortest cricketing format. The Black Caps leg spinner is honoured to have climbed to the top of the world T20 player rankings for bowlers but doesn’t want it to define him. Unwanted for test and one-day international duty against the West Indies and Pakistan this summer, the 25-year-old has been in both New Zealand T20I squads. He will be a key figure in next week’s three-match series – which leads up to the IPL player auction – but before then has an important appointment. The Indian-born tweaker will be a key figure in today’s domestic T20 fi-
nal when his Northern Districts host Central Districts at Seddon Park. Suggestions his lofty player ranking has prompted thoughts of focusing on T20s only are shut down by a player who wants to add to his 14 tests and 18 ODIs for the Black Caps. “It (top T20 ranking) is something that’s really special and you’re grateful that you have been recognised amongst some of the world’s best,” Sodhi said. “There are plenty of options for cricketers these days but I want to have a role in the other formats as my first class bowling has improved a lot over the last year. “To do that I have to stay here and bide my time, and keep improving in these conditions, and right now that’s my priority.” - NZME
A Sean Abbott-led Sydney Sixers romped to a nine-wicket win over the under-pressure Brisbane Heat in Thursday night’s Big Bash League clash at the SCG. The Sixers chased down the Heat’s paltry target of 74 in 10 overs. The Sixers’ fans might be questioning where this form has been after they had opened the season with six-successive losses. Conversely, the Heat face an uphill battle to make the semi-finals after a bright start to 2017-18, after stumbling to the franchise’s lowest total and third smallest in BBL history. - AAP
Boult in team of year Trent Boult’s prolific return with the white ball has been recognised by his inclusion in an unofficial one-day international team of the year. New Zealand left-arm quick Boult was included in a composite XI announced by the ICC yesterday. He was the only Black Cap in the ODI team while there were no Kiwis in the test lineup. ICC ODI team: David Warner (Aus), Virat Kohli (Ind), Rohit Sharma (Ind), Babar Azam (Pak), AB de Villers (SA), Quinton de Kock (SA), Ben Stokes (Eng), Trent Boult (NZ), Hasan Ali (Pak), Rashid Khan (Afg), Jasprit Bumrah (Ind). - NZME
Boxing Day test
Ish Sodhi is intent on becoming a regular Black Cap.
The New Zealand cricket team are edging closer to booking one of the sport’s most coveted fixtures – a Boxing Day test in Australia. The event could come about as early as 2019. No tour dates have been finalised, but plans are developing for the Black Caps to play their first test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground since 1987. The idea of New Zealand’s return to a MCG test was first mooted in 2015 when the West Indies’ were trounced by 177 runs and brought in a crowd of just 127,000 across five days, the lowest tally in the last 22 tests at the venue. - NZME