BOP boys heroics get ND up and running

ND’s century hero Joe Carter in action for Bay of Plenty. Photo: Chris James. The video below shows the world breaking record.

After a stumbling start Northern Districts are on their way in the Ford Trophy one-day cricket competition thanks to the world record-setting exploits of Bay of Plenty's Joe Carter and Brett Hampton.

They're looking forward to tomorrow's encounter with Canterbury at Hamilton's Seddon Park with renewed confidence after blasting past the Central Stags at the same ground on Wednesday, with a match-winning partnership of 178 between Carter and Hampton, which included a new world record for a 50-over – officially known as List A - match of 43 runs off one over.

Carter went on to finish unbeaten on 102, his first century in one day matches, while Hampton fell just short on 95, also his personal best in ND colours.

It was Northern's first win in five matches so far in the competition, and lifted them off the foot of the table and back into contention to make the top three for the finals with another five matches to play.

Carter and Hampton's efforts were key to the side getting through to 313 for seven, after coming together with the team in trouble at 95 for five in the 26th over. It proved to be a winning total as they then held Central to 288 for nine to take the match by 25 runs.

It was not looking that way however until the unfortunate Willem Ludick stepped up to bowl the 46th over of the innings for the Stags.

Hampton began the carnage, edging the first delivery for four past the wicketkeeper, then helped himself to consecutive sixes off the next two deliveries, waist-high no balls which had to be rebowled. He then hit another six before taking a single to hand the strike over to Carter, who continued in the same vein, slugging three more sixes to take the tally off the over to 43.

The total comfortably beat the previous List A world record of 39, set in Dhaka, Bangladesh, by Zimbabwe's Elton Chigumbura off the bowling of Alauddin Babu in 2013.

It all seemed a bit unreal for Hampton, he says.

'Once you see a couple of full tosses like that, your only choice is to go after them.

'It was great to be a part of and was all a bit of a blur to be honest.”

Equally as important as the record for Carter was reaching three figures, his first substantial score since his recall to the Northern Districts team this season. He had previously reached just 14 in Sunday's loss to Wellington at the Basin Reserve.

They now have Canterbury in their sights, and again go into the game with three Bay players, captain Dean Brownlie along with Carter and Hampton.

A second straight win will likely lift them into fourth on the table, above the mainlanders, which is more the focus for ND than gaining some revenge over the side which beat them in their most recent meeting in last season's elimination semifinal, Hampton says.

'It's the past. We're very much thinking about the present, and what unique challenges Canterbury pose us tomorrow.

'Obviously Wednesday was a terrific win for the guys which had been a long time coming. But our only focus is backing that up and making a push for the finals.”

Northern Districts' squad for the round six Ford Trophy match beginning at 11am tomorrow at Seddon Park, Hamilton:

Dean Brownlie (c) Bay of Plenty

James Baker Hamilton

Peter Bocock Hamilton

Joe Carter Bay of Plenty

Henry Cooper Northland

Anton Devcich Hamilton

Zak Gibson Waikato Valley

Brett Hampton Bay of Plenty

Nick Kelly Counties Manukau

Daryl Mitchell Hamilton

Brett Randell Northland

Joe Walker Hamilton

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