Game One: Canterbury beat Northern Districts by 7 wickets
Seddon Park, Hamilton
30 November 2021
Super six-hitter Leo Carter slammed one of New Zealand's fastest one-day fifties as defending Ford Trophy champions Canterbury got off to a flier in the first match of the new summer with a seven-wicket win over Northern Districts at Seddon Park.
Both sides produced a trio of half centuries but Canterbury chased down their 240 target in a rain-reduced match with almost five overs to spare.
The highlight was a racy unbroken 101-run stand for the fourth wicket between captain Cole McConchie (57 not out off 46 balls, above) and Leo Carter who was up to his old six-slamming tricks as he blasted six maximums in an incredible knock of 54 not out off just 23 balls to bring it home.
Plundering runs on the leg-side, his half century had flown off just 20 balls (2x4, 6x6) - making it one of the quickest List A one-day fifties in New Zealand history.
In Domestic one-day cricket, his knock sits behind only Central Stag Tom Bruce's 16-ball national record at Pukekura Park in 2015/16 and the 19-ball fifties struck by both ND's Pete McGlashan in Hamilton, 2007/08 and Canterbury's Shanan Stewart in Timaru in 2009/10.
Carter joins Chris Cairns, Graham Napier and Hamish Marshall in the 20-ball club. In January 2020, Carter had made headlines in similar fashion when he became the first New Zealand player to smash six sixes in an over in the Dream11 Super Smash (T20) competition.
Carter and McConchie backed up an aggressive 87 off 55 from first drop Ken McClure (above) who thundered five sixes and nine boundaries himself at the big Hamilton ground.
Carter took to Colin de Grandhomme at the death, single-handedly taking 30 runs off the 24th over, including three of his sixes.
Earlier, showery weather had delayed proceedings with an early lunch taken and the match reduced to 32 overs per side before McConchie won the toss and sent ND in for the first men's List A one-day match of the NZC summer.
Northern had recovered from a rocky start thanks to 74 off 57 balls from Jeet Raval at the top, his knock including six boundaries and three sixes.
ND had lost two wickets in the first two overs of the match but experienced Raval guided his side to 127/2 before he was caught off quick Ed Nuttall (2-58) in the 17th.
Captain Joe Carter pressed on to reach 52 and new man Henry Cooper (above) would depart for the exact same score before the ever dangerous arm of Chad Bowes produced two runouts for Canterbury, ND finishing on 239/8 in their 32 overs.
The next match is tomorrow (Wednesday) at the Cello Basin Reserve where hosts the Wellington Firebirds and the Otago Volts will be in action for the first time in the one-day season, from 11am.
