Craig Spearman played an innings of unmistakeable quality as Central Districts drew their Shell Trophy match with Wellington at McLean Park today and, in doing so, added another conundrum to one of New Zealand cricket’s most enigmatic careers

Steve McMorran05-Jan-2001Craig Spearman played an innings of unmistakeable quality as Central Districts drew their Shell Trophy match with Wellington at McLean Park today and, in doing so, added another conundrum to one of New Zealand cricket’s most enigmatic careers.It remains a puzzle, a point of considerable wonder and even poignancy that a player such as Spearman, who showed such haughty command in reaching his 10th first class century today, who seems almost too good for cricket at this level can then contrive a record of such inconsistency in international play.Spearman showed such qualities of batsmanship, such class, talent and technical precision on this sun-drenched and fascinating final day – when Central ended at 295-5 after being set 378 to win – that his failure to become an international batsman of commanding reputation seems inexplicable.The greatest pity of this day and of Spearman’s innings of 130 from 123 balls, the sparkplug of Central’s gallant run-chase, was that there were so few specators at McLean Park, a mere sprinkling of holidaymakers under broad summer parasols, to savour it and give it to posterity. It was an innings which deserved a stadium audience – the dashing work of an artist or of a knight with his broadsword – which was jeweled with 13 fours, touching every part of the ground, and five sixes.When Spearman was at the crease, Central perpetuated the most unlikely chance of winning this match – though they began needing 4.79 runs per over from 79 overs to achieve their winning target. While he blasted the Wellington attack, treating with equal unconcern the spinners, who should have been favoured by conditions, and the medium pacers, two of whom are internationals, Central had victory on their horizon.That the match finally ended in a draw, with Wellington still needing five wickets to win, in no way denigrated his effort, in fact was due in large part to his pugnacity which made Central realise the match could be saved.Matches usually limp to draws, or meander, or crawl, or wither and are drawn but this match, with the help of Spearman’s magnficent innings, was full of rude health till the last.There were a total of 438 runs scored in 106 overs today at a rate which would make many one day matches blush and in all 10 sixes and 41 fours were hit on a day which never lost its riveting appeal.This last day was one of searing heat and of trying circumstances for both teams – for Wellington whose duty it was to try to engineer and result and to Central, whose job it was to resist those machinations as they had done since their decision four days ago to field after winning the toss casually awarded Wellington the upper hand.Wellington took 21 overs this morning – overs which were full of frantic activity – to play themselves into a position to declare. They reached 228-4 on top of their first innings total of 415, their first innings lead of 149, and left Central needing 378 from 79 overs.The match ended in a draw at 6.17pm when Central were still 83 runs adrift of their target with Mark Douglas 30 and Martyn Sigley 34 not out, with Wellington needing five wickets to complete their outright win.Central’s performance throughout this match, though Wellington have always been the engineers of events, has never lacked spirit and they set about the run-chase, with Spearman their flag bearer, in total earnest and without the least sign of being cowed.Spearman’s innings was so good – so deserving of a larger and more appreciative audience – that its quality survives even the bland perusal of his statistics.From the book, he batted for 161 minutes for 130 runs and faced only 123 balls hitting 13 fours and five sixes, reaching his 50 from 77 balls in 25 overs and his 100 from only 109 balls in 143 minutes. He put on 131 in a third-wicket partnership with Glen Sulzberger in which Sulzberger managed to be both participant and spectator, contributing only 29 while Spearman contributed 101. The partnership lasted barely 80 minutes but while it was extant, Central had a very real, very unlikely shot at winning this match because they were up with and at times even ahead of their run-rate.To deal with Spearman’s innings now in its elements: he weathered the peak heat of the day and was unbowed by it; he wasn’t limited or perturbed by the magnitude of the challenge or the pressure Wellington contrived; he was master of his art and his environment.He scored at a breathtaking rate on a pitch which though seared and low was still providing bounce and carry for the quicks and which was expected to give succour to the spinners. In fact, he was at the crease when the spinners were introduced to the Wellington attack in what might have been the pivotal point of the match and he despatched them, forcing Jeetan Patel to be briefly withdrawn from the attack when he took 55 from his first 10 overs.His 13 fours were comprised of exquisite shots to almost every boundary, drives which began with a high backlift, continued with the full blade of the bat meeting the ball with weight and timing and ended with the bat flourished above the head – technical statement not bravado.But his sixes were most distinctly memorable. Of the five, there were three off Patel – two in the same over over long on and long off which took Spearman from 60 to 66 and 66 to 72. There was another from the suffering spinner over midwicket which bounced with a loud metallic clang off the roof of the McKenzie Stand and disappearned into a suburban garden beyond.There was another off Mark Jefferson, the left-armer who operated throughout the innings from the city end of the ground, which bounced among the vacant seats of the main grandstand, and one off the quick Ian O’Brien which could only be followed by the bowler and the fieldsmen with upraised eyes as it disappeared over a distant boundary.With Spearman driving and Central willing to take on Wellington’s challenge, they raced past 50 in 58 minutes and were 123-2 and well within the parametres of that chase in the 30th over.But The Management of that chase was finally too much of a burden for one man, no matter how much support he received from one such as Sulzberger, who had batted 80 minutes for 29 runs was Spearman was out a whittle before tea when Central were 198-3.There was little chance then of the run rate being maintained, because Central were still a batsman short in the absence of their strapping captain Jacob Oram, and for the remaining session, the last 39 overs of the match, they were bent largely on survival. That change of policy was reflected in the early application of Mark Douglas who replaced Spearman and took 35 balls to score his first run, when Spearman had scored 50 runs in similar time.The match finally ended with Central five down and both sides equidistant from victory – though Wellington were perhaps most aggrieved that something more than a first innings win had eluded them.They had tried with all possible gusto this morning to set up a winning target, taking 143 runs from 21 overs before their declaration. Everyone participated with equal enthusiasm in the race to set up a total from which they could strike out at Central.Selwyn Blackmore batted from the start of play to the declaration, adding 53 runs to his overnight score from only 59 balls, to be left 86 not out at its close.Grant Donaldson had scored only three runs from 45 balls before stumps last night but he added a further 30 from 25 balls today with three fours and two sixes – one of which, from Taraia Robin, preceded Spearman’s shot out of the ground.Chris Nevin scored 25 from 25 balls and Carl Bulfin 26 from 20 balls before the declaration was made.