Patel refuses to leave after out

For an incredibly awkward and drawn-out 24 seconds, it was almost like Ajaz Patel had refused to leave the crease.

The Black Caps spinner, the last of eight Central Districts wickets to fall in a disastrous first session on day four of their Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts, was involved in a bizarre moment at Napier’s McLean Park yesterday.

As Northern Districts bowlers Brett Randell and Black Caps allrounder Colin de Grandhomme ripped through the Central Stags batters, Patel had made his way through to seven from 14 balls.

But then, he hit one straight back to the ever-improving rightarm seamer, Randell, who took the simple caught and bowled catch.

Randell threw the ball up in the air in celebration as his teammates congratulated him. Northern’s 12th man Katene Clarke had even made his way onto the field with the drinks.

But standing resolute, as he was entitled to do, was Patel.

The catch was clear-cut, it was not a bump ball and Randell had cleanly claimed the catch well above the ground. Everything was above board. Exactly what caused Patel to stand his ground remains a mystery.

After exchanging a few words with the Northern Districts players who had gone from celebration mode to utter confusion, Patel eventually trudged off after 24 of the most awkward seconds you will see.

Despite being helped by a rain delay after lunch and a defiant partnership for the 10th wicket between Field and Ray Toole, the Stags eventually lost the match by 141 runs.

Resuming on their overnight score of 28-0, Central needed 196 further runs for victory but imploded to be 60-8 at lunch.

A day on from his heroics with the bat, de Grandhomme was a key figure with the ball, taking three wickets in the opening session. Randell claimed five wickets before lunch, including the big scalps of Black Caps opener Will Young and Tom Bruce as Central’s collapse, saw eight wickets fall in just 14.2 overs with only 32 runs added in the first session..

Meanwhile, Auckland spinners Louis Delport and Will Somerville bowled the top of the table Aces to an outright win over the Otago Volts in Alexandra. Auckland, who controlled the match from the outset, bowled Otago out for 156 in the final session to complete a 158 run victory.

After resuming on 216-4, Auckland didn’t lose a wicket before progressing through to 259 when captain Robbie O’Donnell – who was unbeaten on 56 – closed the innings.