Northern held off Wellington for a 41 run victory in the two teams’ fifth round Provincial A match in Lincoln.
Young Joe Carter led his side with 92 to give Northern a total of 264 for six in the first innings. In reply Wellington was dismissed for 223 after 48.1 overs, losing the points and their lead in the tournament.
It was a bits-and-pieces performance from the Wellington batting line-up, with many getting starts, but no-one able to make it past 50.
Opener Josh Brodie was the best of them with 48, while Harry Boam in the middle-order was next in line with 40.
Six other players made scores of more than ten, but regular wickets crippled the boys from the capital and they were eventually all out well short of the target.
James Baker was the chief wicket-taker for Northern grabbing three scalps in his ten overs for 51.
Earlier 20 year-old Joe Carter had opened the batting and made a more than decent fist of it. Carter played with maturity beyond his years, before falling just eight short of his century after 114 balls at the crease.
Bharat Popli was the next highest scorer with 43, while Brett Hampton slammed an unbeaten 42 off 34 deliveries to finish the innings nicely.
Boam caused the most problems with the ball, claiming impressive figures of three for 39 from ten overs.
Sadly from a Wellington point of view it wouldn’t secure them the points, allowing Auckland to gain a one point lead heading into the final two days.
