So far so good for Black Caps and Northern Knights fast bowler Tim Southee as he looks to prove his fitness ahead of the looming test series against Australia.

Tim is working his way back from a long-term foot injury and made his return to the bowling crease for the Northern Knights on the second day of their Plunket Shield match against the Central Stags at McLean Park, Napier.

There was nothing spectacular from the right-arm quick, but the national selectors would have been rapt to see Southee get through 11 overs and pick up 1-37 as the Knights established a slight advantage heading into the third day.

The Stags were bowled out for 256, with ND seamer Scott Kuggeleijn following up his first-innings 45 with the bat with 4-82 off 19 overs. Dane Cleaver was the best of the CD batsmen with a career-best 66 off 83 balls, while Seth Rance hit out late in the innings to reach 52 off just 39 balls, striking six boundaries and three sixes.

The Knights then increased their first-innings lead of 12 to 73 by stumps as they finished at 65-2, with Bay of Plenty cricketer Joe Carter unbeaten on 20.

At the Queenstown Events centre, the Wellington Firebirds established a strong position against the Otago Volts as they look to overtake Auckland at the top of the table.

Wellington improved their overnight first innings of 280-7 to 348, and then rolled the Volts for just 240 to establish a handy 108-run lead.

Former Black Cap Hamish Rutherford top-scored for Otago with a patient 70 off 126 balls, including 11 boundaries. After opening the innings, the left-hander was sixth out at 178.

Left-arm spinner Sam Wells chimed in with a useful 51 (84 balls, seven fours) batting at No 7 to anchor the tail of the innings.

Veteran seamer Brent Arnel, who is also Wellington's bowling coach, led the Firebirds attack with 5-59 off 20 overs. It was the 13th five-wicket bag of his career.

Off-spinner, and former Brisbane club cricketer, Alecz Day chimed in with 3-48 off 13 overs.

By stumps the Firebirds had reached 7-0 in five overs, for an overall lead of 115.

Competition leaders the Auckland Aces ended the second day of their match against Canterbury at Christchurch's Hagley Oval battling to establish any ascendancy.

After bowling the Cantabs out for 294, the Aces managed just 279 in reply, with Michael Guptill-Bunce top-scoring with an impressive 93. He faced 121 balls and struck 15 fours to beat his previous highest first-class score by a run.

Nathan McAndrew added a handy 65 on debut batting at No 8, facing 93 balls and stroking nine boundaries.

Opening bowler Ed Nuttall, who performed so well during the one-day competition, was the pick of the Canterbury attack with 5-72 off 17 overs. It was just the second five-wicket haul of his career.

The hosts then lost international Tom Latham for just two as they reached 7-1 by stumps, a lead of 22 with nine wickets in hand.

Scoreboards

Canterbury v Auckland Aces

CANTERBURY

First Innings 294

Second Innings

L Carter not out 5

T Latham lbw b D Grobbelaar 2

K Jamieson not out 0

Extras 0

Total (for 1 wkt) 7

Fall: 1-7 (T Latham, 8.1)

Bowling: M Bates 4-2-4-0, N McAndrew 2-1-3-0, C de Grandhomme 3-3-0-0, D Grobbelaar 2-2-0-1

AUCKLAND ACES

First Innings

J Raval c CD Fletcher b E Nuttall 4

M Guptill-Bunce lbw b T Astle 93

R O'Donnell c T Latham b L van Beek 10

R Nicol c C McConchie b E Nuttall 19

B Cachopa c L Carter b E Nuttall 9

C de Grandhomme b A Ellis 1

S Hicks c T Johnston b T Astle 35

N McAndrew b E Nuttall 65

D Grobbelaar c L van Beek b E Nuttall 20

T Nethula b L van Beek 5

M Bates not out 9

Extras (4lb, 4b, 1w) 9

Total 279

Fall: 1-10, 2-63, 3-115, 4-136, 5-141, 6-143, 7-227, 8-264, 9-265, 10-279

Bowling: E Nuttall 17-1-72-5, K Jamieson 15-3-55-0, L van Beek 13.2-5-42-2, A Ellis 13-3-22-1 (1w), T Johnston 15-4-36-0, T Astle 14-2-44-2

Central Stags v Northern Knights

NORTHERN KNIGHTS

First Innings 268

Second Innings

D Brownlie b B Tickner 25

D Flynn c GH Worker b B Tickner 13

J Carter not out 20

I Sodhi not out 1

Extras (2lb) 2

Total (for 2 wkts) 61

Fall: 1-33, 2-50

Bowling: S Rance 5-0-13-0, N Patel 6-0-22-0, B Small 4-0-16-0, B Tickner 6-3-8-2

CENTRAL STAGS

First Innings

D Robinson c T Seifert b S Kuggeleijn 7

B Smith c T Seifert b S Kuggeleijn 9

G Hay c D Mitchell b S Kuggeleijn 43

W Young c D Mitchell b J Baker 14

G Worker b J Baker 9

T Bruce c T Seifert b S Kuggeleijn 5

D Cleaver not out 66

B Small c B Popli b T Southee 14

S Rance c S Kuggeleijn b A Devcich 52

N Patel lbw b I Sodhi 2

B Tickner c & b I Sodhi 14

Extras (10b, 5lb, 2w, 4nb) 21

Total 256

Fall: 1-14, 2-45, 3-68, 4-84, 5-87, 6-95, 7-127, 8-209, 9-219, 10-256

Bowling: T Southee 11-1-37-1, J Baker 12-5-27-2, S Kuggeleijn 19-4-82-4 (2w, 4nb), D Mitchell 6-1-14-0, I Sodhi 13.5-1-72-2, A Devcich 2-0-9-1

Otago Volts v Wellington Firebirds

WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS

First Innings 348

Second Innings

L Woodcock not out 3

M Papps not out 4

Extras 0

Total (for 0 wkts) 7

Bowling: N Wagner 3-1-5-0, M Craig 2-1-2-0

OTAGO VOLTS

First Innings

H Rutherford lbw b B Arnel 70

B Wilson c T Blundell b B Arnel 27

M Bracewell b B Arnel 2

N Broom c T Blundell b A Verma 27

J Neesham st T Blundell b A Day 24

D de Boorder c M Papps b A Day 0

S Wells c S Borthwick b M Bacon 51

M Craig c D Hutchinson b A Day 3

N Wagner c M Bacon b B Arnel 6

C Smith c S Murdoch b B Arnel 5

J Duffy not out 5

Extras (7b, 7lb, 4w, 2nb) 20

Tota 240

Fall: 1-67, 2-70, 3-127, 4-160, 5-162, 6-178 , 7-193, 8-199, 9-228, 10-240

Bowling: B Arnel 20-6-59-5 (2w), D Hutchinson 13-3-37-0 (2w, 1nb), M Bacon 7.4-0-25-1 (1nb), A Verma 12-1-57-1, A Day 13-3-48-3

- Stuff.co.nz