Weather can't prevent comprehensive Wellington victory

With a final, deprecating bow to the weather gods who made their task so difficult, Wellington completed outright victory over Central Districts by an innings and 69 runs in their Shell Trophy match at the Basin Reserve today.

As if to add a last and sardonic irony to all that had occured over the past three days, the clouds parted this afternoon and a shy, almost embarrassed sun appeared to illuminate the last act of the match, the denouement the weather had so long delayed.

Only 42.5 overs had been bowled on the game's second day, 33.1 on the third and there were only 40 minutes of play before lunch today as the weather toyed with the emotions of the Wellington players and, particularly, the nerves of their highly-strung coach Vaughn Johnson.

First the intercession of the weather, then an act of bitter defiance from Mark Douglas and Ben Smith, a 128-run partnership in 144 minutes for Central's third wicket, made Wellington fret for their second haul of outright points in three Trophy rounds.

But when the partnership was broken, when Douglas was out lbw to Matthew Walker for 45 in the 40th over, the resistance and the rain melted away with equal speed and Central were finally all out for 189 - their last seven wickets falling for 60 runs in 22 overs.

Central had resumed this morning its second innings this morning at 47-2 with Douglas, their senior batsman, not out on 16 and Smith, the Leicestershire professional, on 26. Though the playing area and been dampened by continuous morning rain, the covers were lifted and the first ball was bowled on time at 10.30am.

But there were only 10.4 overs bowled in 40 minutes before the rain returned with sufficient intensity to convince Douglas, at least, that it was time to call a halt to play. Douglas twice backed away when Wellington left-armer James Franklin was in his delivery stride, indicating his vision was impaired by the sweeping drizzle.

On the second occasion, he indicated angrily to the umpires that, in his opinion, the conditions were no longer fit for play. Though the umpires showed the batsman a light meter, he kept up an angry remonstration and finally turned on his heel and headed, with Smith, to the dressing room while the umpires and the Wellington fieldsmen simply stood and watched him go.

Finally and reluctantly they followed, the pitch was covered again and lunch was taken. The weather brightened during the interval and play was able to resume on time in the afternoon session with 84.2 overs remaining in the day. There were no further weather alarms for Wellington and their drive to victory continued without major interuption when Douglas was out with the total 129 and Smith, for 78, nine runs later.

Douglas had batted 144 minutes and faced 105 balls when he failed to offer a shot to a ball on off stump and was adjudged lbw. Smith toiled for one minute less than three hours for his 78, facing 161 balls and hitting six fours. Their 100 partnership came in 112 minutes from 182 balls and their total partnership occupied 144 minutes and 236 balls.

But the only other partnership of note in Central's innings was one of 26 in 23 minutes for the eighth wicket between Jacob Oram and Hamish Morgan. Oram produced an act of late and mute defiance, striking eight boundaries in an innings of 34, made in the face on inevitable defeat.

Walker, the partnership breaker, had only one wicket from his 14 overs but his was the vital contribution. Franklin returned to complete an analysis of 4-75 and match figures of 9-114 from 40 overs.