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NZ game abandoned due to 'unsafe' pitch

Four-day Plunket Shield clash called off as Canterbury assistant coach labels opposition's tactics 'disappointing'

New Zealand Cricket will launch an investigation after a first-class match at Rangiora was contentiously called off due to an unsafe pitch, despite one side scoring nearly 500 first-innings runs on it.

Umpires Ash Mehrotra and John Dempsey abandoned the clash between Canterbury and Auckland three overs into day three having deemed the surface unplayable.

Canterbury had declared their first innings at 6-485 on Sunday's day two as Ken McClure posted a career-best 210 and wicketkeeper Cameron Fletcher a 118-ball century.

Image Id: 6D454CDD3B514B47ADB3E58718E76631 Image Caption: McClure acknowledges his century // Getty

But Auckland found the going considerably tougher on Monday, slumping to 6-66 with the ball rearing up dangerously at the visiting batsmen at Mainpower Oval.

After Auckland's Matt McEwan was hit on the helmet from a lifter delivered by Canterbury quick Will Williams, he and batting partner Craig Cachopa went to leave the field but were ordered back by umpires.

McEwan was then out chipping a catch to the legside off Williams, prompting a long backwards glance at the pitch, and two balls later officials abandoned the match for only the second time in New Zealand's first-class history.

Image Id: D5683A33EE414E6BB8FC3C7D24E462DE Image Caption: The scorecard from Canterbury's first innings // NZC

"The umpires were of the view that the pitch was not safe and fit for play; that the players' welfare was the number one priority and, accordingly, abandoned play," said NZC's general manager of domestic cricket Andrew Rogers.

"It's too early to say exactly why the pitch didn't meet playable standards – we'll certainly be launching an investigation to look at that."

Image Id: 6EECE17DDB3E47E884929C1329101D66 Image Caption: Canterbury captain Andrew Ellis ducks under a short ball // Getty

Canterbury assistant coach Brendon Donkers accused Auckland of batting negatively in a bid to have the game called off.

"I think their mindset was perhaps somewhat negative (on Sunday) and they were just waiting for the game to be abandoned," Donkers told stuff.co.nz.

"They tried to make a point they weren't happy with the wicket. They reflected that through the way they batted.

"It's been disappointing how they've gone about it on (Monday) as well. It's not how cricket should be played.

"They bowled a lot shorter than how we did. They came around the wicket to try and intimidate us with their short bowling."

Match referee Gary Baxter said the wicket had been dicey from ball one and while Canterbury had made the most of more favourable batting conditions, the pitch had deteriorated further following their declaration.

"First and foremost the priority is player safety, and that was a concerning issue,'' Baxter told the NZ Herald.

"Right from the start the occasional ball would rear off a length which was unplayable. While Canterbury batted through the better part of the pitch conditions, one or two of their batsmen were struck.

''Auckland were struggling to get it off the block. The occasional one would come through head high, then would shoot through low. A couple of their players had been struck. This morning a ball reared badly and hit (Auckland batsman) Matt McEwan on the helmet."

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Cricket Australia launched an investigation of their own into an unsafe pitch at North Sydney Oval earlier this summer following a similar incident in the JLT One-Day Cup in October.

NSW lost in controversial circumstances to Victoria after umpires deemed the pitch "dangerous" 26 overs into the Bushrangers' innings. NSW had earlier been dismissed for 144.

Victoria pair Seb Gotch and Blake Thomson were both hit on the gloves several times by short-pitched deliveries from the likes of Test quicks Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.