Shell Trophy: Auckland v Northern Districts at Auckland, 2-5 Jan 2001
Don Cameron
Auckland 1st innings: Early Pocock luck, One wicket lost, Pocock in form, ND Bowlers hammered, ND under pressure, Pocock, Aiken Star,
Pre-game: Auckland win toss, bat,

AUCKLAND AIM TO BUILD A RUN MOUNTAIN

The Auckland cricket team must have made some serious New Year resolutions about making the most of their batting talent -- and their luck -- as they worked their way to 238 for two wickets from 78 overs on a rain-hit first day of the Shell Trophy cricket match agasinst Northern Districts on the Eden Park outer oval today.

The imposing total was built round a splendid 123 by the 29-year-old Auckland and former New Zealand opening batsman Blair Pocock, supported by a rock-solid 84 not out from the 30-year-old John Aiken, who not so long ago was ear-marked as a future international player.

They scored 175 together for the second wicket. The Auckland good luck came early after Pocock had won the toss, and batted first on a pitch freshened by rain showers which delayed the start by just over an hour. Pocock edged the second ball of the match, and was dropped before he had scored by James Marshall at third slip.

The next real chance from Pocock was his last, caught after his 236-minute mission when he miscued a drive at Grant Bradburn. Auckland 185 for two, leaving Aiken and Richard King ( 15 not out) to keep on the pressure until stumps.


POCOCK CUT DOWN IN FULL FLIGHT

Pocock and Aiken kept up steady pressure on the Auckland bowlers after tea, but Northern smartened their fielding, and kept the Aucklanders in reasonable check. The stand went past 150 in three hours, the third 50 from 70 balls. Then, after all the youngsters had tried to stem the flow of runs, Bradburn was tried, and he immediately found a tight length. Pocock founds holes in the field with his trademark drives, and he religiously kept the ball on the ground. But he was tempted by Bradburn's amiable flight and drove a little too early. The balled sailed high and deep behind the bowler and Yovich moved quickly to take the catch coming from an awkward angle with both hands. Pocock's increasingly expert innings took 236 minutes, and he hit 20 fours from the 174 balls he faced. Aiken, by contrast, went quietly past his 50 in 206 minutes, with seven fours from the 147 balls he faced.


BLAIR POCOCK BREAKS THE CENTURY BARRIER

The ND bowlers did their best to check the flood of runs. Yovich found a testing length that kept Aiken pinned down, and all the ND bowlers read the lesson of Pocock's powerful driving, and the supply of half-volleys and other cannon-fodder diminished. However, they were able to raise their 100-run second wicket partnership in just under two hours and from 160 balls, meaning that the second 50 had come from 35 balls and in 53 minutes. When Aldridge returned Pocock drove magnificently through extra cover to reach 98, clipped two to mid-wicket for his century, and celebrated with another splendid four through midon. Pocock reached his 10th first class century in 185 minutes, from 132 balls, includoing 17 fours. His second 50 came from 55 balls, and he hit ten of those to the fence. The stand was worth 131, Aiken 39, when they went to tea at 141 for one wicket.


WEATHER AND AUCKLAND ON THE IMPROVE

Fortunately for the meagre number of spectators -- and the players -- the weather improved after lunch, and so did the Auckland batting. The 29-year-old Pocock used up some more of his new 2001 luck, with an edge from Tuffey which evaded even Bradburn's despairing leap at first slip and bolted to the third man fence. With Aiken growing more confident, Pocock at last brought back some of his best form, especially when he hit three sumptuous fours through the leg side in one over from Aldridge. They brought up their 50-run stand in just over an hour, and Pocock completed the 22nd half-century on his career from 77 balls, after a very slow start, which included seven fours. By the drinks break Auckland were in cruise mode, 91 for one wicket, Pocock 64 and Aiken 21.


AUCKLAND TRUDGE ALONG DURING THE SHOWERS

The next time the rain showers waited 38 minutes before they swept the players from the field at 1.20 pm. This time Northern Districts had a little luck, but perhaps not as much as they deserved with Tuffey, Yovich and then Aldridge making the ball seam about on the helpful pitch. Pocock still had his good luck, but McIntosh was out to his first mistake. He was two, the total 10, when Tuffey got a fine edge and at first slip the 34-year-old Bradburn made a low, sharp catch look easy. Pocock had time for another snicked four through slips, lifting Auckland to 19 for one wicket after 12 anxious overs when lunch was taken ten minutes early.


RAIN THREATENS LATE FINISH AT EDEN PARK

So much for high hopes. The sun smiled for fully 14 minutes, and then yet another downpour sent the players scurrying from the field. This did give Pocock the chance to profit from his New Year's luck. McIntosh turned Tuffey's first ball for a single. Pocock gently edged the next to James Marshall at third slip, who spilled the catch. Pocock celebrated with an outrageous edge for four from Yovich's first ball. Robbie Hart immediately installed a fourth slip, but Pocock did not further tempt fate until the rain stopped play after only 3.2 overs, with Auckland eight for no wicket. After an hour had been lost to rain play resumed at 12.42, with the rest of the day re-arranged to contain, weather permitting, 85 overs with play scheduled to finish at 7 pm.


SUMMER SHOWERS WILL NOT GO AWAY

Don Cameron - 2 January There was more wait-and-see frustration as rain showers delayed the start of the Northern Districts-Auckland Shell Trophy match on the Eden Park outer oval today. The mixture of sunshine and showers did not threaten to wipe out the first day -- as they had squashed the Auckland-Canterbury Shelll Cup game on Sunday -- but the most optimistic estimate had the game starting at 11.30 am. an hour late.

Auckland won the toss and decided to bat.

Teams: Northern Districts: Robbie Hart, James Marshall, Hamish Marshall, Mark Bailey, Neal Parlane, Grant Bradburn, Matthew Hart, Daryl Tuffey, Joseph Yovich, Bruce Martin, Graeme Aldridge. 12th man: Simon Doull. Auckland: Blair Pocock, Tim McIntosh, John Aiken, Richard King, Dion Nash, Lou Vincent, Tama Canning, Kyle Mills, Andre Adams, Chris Drum, Mark Haslam. 12th man: Richard Morgan. Umpires: Brent Bowden, Kevin Manley.

© CricInfo

Date-stamped : 02 Jan2001 - 19:06