BLACKCAP Corey Anderson was is in the runs for the second game in a row with 98 for the SKYCITY Northern Knights, helping get the maroon and golds on the Ford Trophy board.
It was his career-best Ford Trophy score, exceeding the 88 made in the previous round — auguring well for the BLACKCAPS' upcoming ANZ Twenty20s.
Moreover for the SKYCITY Northern Knights, it helped them to an impressive 101-run bonus point victory over the Mondiale Auckland Aces at Eden Park Outer Oval, shifting them off the bottom of the table into fifth, clambering over the luckless Volts.
The round three match was the first home Ford Trophy game of the season for the Aces and would also become their first loss in the competition, despite a promising Ford Trophy debut from former Volt and County regular James Fuller.
Anderson and Anton Devcich put on an impressive rescue mission for the Knights after coming together at 15/3.
Fuller had chipped out three quick wickets to rock the top order, however, after those early breakthroughs, it proved a tough day in the field for the home side, against neighbours who were looking for a victory to celebrate BJ Watling's 100th List A cap.
Anderson and Devcich put together a Knights record partnership against the Aces of nearly 150 for the fourth wicket. The eventual departure of Devcich for 53 and Anderson for 98 did little to slow the Knights down.
Daryl Mitchell collected a sharp 55 while Watling added a very useful 39. That work down the order took the visitors to 302/8 in their 50 overs.
The Aces were playing catch up from the second ball of the reply, quickly losing Jeet Raval as he found himself bowled by James Baker.
Brad Cachopa and Glenn Phillips both looked to get things going, but neither could hold their wicket long enough to help the Mondiale Aces through.
Brad Cachopa. Photosport
Batting at four, however, Robbie O’Donnell (62) did offer resistance as wickets fell around him.
He was able to build a 50-run partnership with Shawn Hicks before Hicks was dismissed.
It became a familiar theme as partnerships started to tick things over before a wicket was lost to the Knights' slow bowling attack of Devcich and Jono Boult.
Pace bowler Brett Hampton, too, stepped up for the Knights with a career best 4-30 as frontline attack weapon Scott Kuggeleijn left the field with a side strain.
O’Donnell couldn’t hold on for the finish, and got out caught down the ground for the Aces' only half century in the reply.
Some late hitting from Fuller gave the hosts a flicker of hope, but the hosts had simply lost too many wickets too quickly to have a good nudge at the total.
The Aces, who remain second on the table, will be hoping for a much improved effort when they host the Wellington Firebirds in round four at the same venue this Wednesday 6 January.
