Stead's century seals exciting Canterbury last-ball win

One-day cricket at its best. A last-ball four gave Canterbury victory and Gary Stead a century as earlier heroics by Adam Parore were not enough to keep the visitors at bay in the second-round State Shield match at Eden Park Outer Oval today.

First Stead, arriving in the sixth over when Canterbury were 35 for two, played an equal role in a 113-run third-wicket partnership with Michael Papps (65). Then he held the innings together as wickets fell at regular intervals. Finally he controlled the last rush to victory with just the tail-enders to keep him company.

His undefeated 101 was a mixture of punishing boundaries and smartly taken singles and it was all about keeping the scoreboard ticking over. The innings was a textbook lesson in adjusting to changing circumstances while maintaining a steady run rate.

Auckland gave up plenty of loose balls early, allowing the Canterbury innings to progress through regular fours. But, when Andre Adams, Brooke Walker and Mark Haslam tightened the line, singles became the productive means of maintaining the run rate that was always ahead of Auckland's at equivalent stages of the innings, coming down to just three required off the last over.

The drama came in the effort to ensure Stead was at the striker's end, Carl Anderson sacrificing himself in a run out to ensure his captain was on hand to score the winning runs and complete his century. It did not happen until the last ball, a classic off drive bringing Stead his just reward in personal and team terms.

Auckland's bowlers had been loose at times; tight at times. Kyle Mills (three for 60 off 10) and Walker in a captain's effort (three for 41 off 10) took the wickets when it mattered to keep Auckland in the match. But they could never stem the flow of runs.

Earlier, the Auckland innings had hardly looked likely to produce a challenging target. Despite useful contributions from Matt Horne (33) and Lou Vincent (47), Auckland at 177 for seven with 10 overs to go looked hardly likely to post a total that would worry a Canterbury side with the likes of Chris Cairns, Craig McMillan and Chris Harris on hand.

However, an innings from Parore that was disciplined when wickets were falling around him but burst into action at the end saw Auckland through to 251 for nine. With the help of Haslam as last man in, he took the score from 205 for nine at the beginning of the 46th over to the final total, Parore himself contributing 38, including a couple of towering sixes.

The Canterbury bowlers spread the wickets and runs among them, Harris with two for 35 the pick. McMillan (one for 46 off 10) and Cairns (two for 43 off 10) suffered the most when Parore went on the rampage at the end.

Even given the bigger than expected task, Canterbury were never greatly troubled by the target - it was losing wickets that gave them problems. But in the end they had enough runs in hand to ensure a much-deserved century for their captain.

Auckland weather, pitch (despite the occasional low ball that did not amuse McMillan), Outer Oval surroundings and crowd combined with the teams to ensure a second day of thoroughly entertaining cricket. This time Canterbury took the points, going home with nine from the northern raid, while Auckland were left to rue being on the wrong side of another ultra-close finish.