Don Cameron
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28th Match: Auckland v Northern Districts at Auckland, 18 Jan 2001 Don Cameron |
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Auckland innings:
Pre-game: Northern Districts innings: |
After scoring a record-breaking 318 for five wickets, led by Lou Vincent with 133 not out, Auckland then kept ND in check, dismissed them for 187 and had the win by 131 runs, a record for Auckland.
The win was too late to win Auckland a place in the cup semifinal on Sunday, but showed that sometimes they can play cricket of extraordinary quality.
Besides Vincent, Llorne Howell (67) and Adam Parore 61, were the big contributors to Auckland's huge total.
The final act came when Hamish Marshall, trying for the boundary he needed for a thoroughly-deserved half-century, got only an edge to a ball from Mills and Parore snared the winning catch. Auckland had the win with 131 runs and 100 balls to spare.
This brought the Marshall brothers together and they poured on the batting pressure with scintillating strokes.
The Auckland bowling began to look a little thin and the score raced into the low 100s as the Marshalls peppered the boundaries. Auckland needed something unusual to break the stand, and it came in the shape of Crabb, whose Otago University studies had worked against him following up his Auckland debut three years ago.
Crabb bowls genial left-arm medium pace, and with the fifth ball of his first over he got a little inswing which went into James Marshall's pads, and umpire Tony Hill agreed with the lbw appeal.
Hamish Marshall maintained the attack, Bradburn hit two vigorous fours, but then flicked one high and on the long leg line Drum safely held the catch.
Worse to follow for ND as Hart, their skipper, seemed to have a safe single when he drove to mid-off. However, Vincent made a superb stop, recovered the ball and, on his knees, threw down the stumps from side on to run the ND skipper out.
At the second drinks break Hamish Marshall and Tait were together at 179 for eight from 31 overs -- but the winning target of 319 was getting further and further away.
But the risk factor was high. Vettori was cramped by a short lifter from Mills and pushed a catch to Barnes close in, and Doull, the next big-hitter, immediately squirted a very high catch which Vincent accepted.
Parlane hit several powerful strokes. but was completely stranded by a ball from Drum which seamed in, and ND were 41 for three, in the middle of the seventh over.
ND maintained a brisk scoring rate, but at some cost, for at 52 Bailey prodded at a ball from Drum, and Parore swooped on the catch. The required run rate was still under seven, but the loss of each wicket was a setback for an ND team which already knew Central Districts had beaten Otago and taken over the lead in the cup championship.
Probably smarting from his harsh treatment by the Auckland batsman, Styris launched a counter-attack and had hit six fours in his 30 not out as ND sprinted to 87 for four in the 14 overs up to the first drinks break.
From Styris' next over Parore connected with a powerful pull-drive, Viv Richard's trademark stroke, and the ball would landed in Sandringham Road had it not hit a tree on the fence. repeated the stroke in the next over, raced to 49 with his fourth six, tickled a single for his 50 in 25 minutes from 32 balls, and then straight-drove his fifth six
It was too good to last, and when Parore went for another six the ball dropped short and Parlane held the catch 12 metres from the boundary.
The wicket fell at 239, with ten overs to play. Canning cracked a Tait fulltoss for six to raise the 250, with the last 50 coming in 24 minutes from 37 minutes. Canning tried a repeat shot at Tait, missed and was bowled. Auckland 255 for four in the 44th over.
Then came Vincent's big moment, his 100 coming from his 12th four (he also hit a six) in 173 minutes from 119 balls.
A Nash six put Auckland past 300, Nash and Vincent added 50 together in 29 balls, Nash smashed a Styris six for Auckland's new one-day record, thus breaking the 1982-83 record of 309, also set against Northern Districts.
Tuffey had the pleasure of bowling Nash before Auckland finished at 318 with Vincent 133 not out.
Howell's bold innings had a suitably dramatic end. Howell pulled a half-volley from Vettori high to mid-wicket. There seemed no chance of Doull reaching the chance in time, but he sprinted some 20 metres and dived to take the catch one-handed and just above the grasstops.
Parore soon joined the fun, hitting Tait over the sightscreen for six, and then sent back Vincent (then 47) who was stranded but the throw missed the unprotected stumps.
Vincent went soberly to his 50 from 105 balls, seven fours, and after 30 overs Auckland were sitting comfortably on 151 for two wickets, with Vettori, seven overs for 34, struggling to keep the Aucklanders in check -- with a score of 250-plus in prospect.
Barnes had looked confident, but was only three, and the total four, when Doull made the ball seam back dramatically, and knocked over Barnes' off stump.
Obviously shaken by this early loss Howell and Vincent became ultra-cautious, with only six runs from the first six overs. Howell raised the siege, and Tuffey's anger, with a high-flying four over slips, and celebrated with a meaty whack over the mid-wicket line.
Howell followed this with a lofted drive for four that just cleared Tait at mid-on, giving Auckland 14 from the over.
This seemed the signal for all-out attack. Vincent, scoreless for 16 balls, made a start, and surprised Styris with a stinging drive for four from the New Zealand bowler's first delivery. Howell joined in the fun, Styris conceded 11 runs in his first over and the Howell-VIncent stand was worth 50 i9n 38 minutes from only 52 balls -- 49 runs from five overs.
The drama increased when Vincent lapped Bradburn's first ball and Doull at fine leg claimed a catch. As the ND players jumped for joy, Vincent stood his ground, and after advice from Doug Cowie, the off-field television umpire, Vincent was ruled not out.
Styris steadied the ND attack with a maiden, VIncent had a life when Parlane dropped a sharp catch at point, and Howell straight-drove Bradburn for four to reach his 50 from 42 balls, 10 fours and a six.
ND, with a precious one-point lead going into the last round-robin series, are working on the premise that batting second was a better option than risking an early batting collapse against the erratic Auckland side.
The pitch is the same as that used when Auckland were dismembered by Central Districts on Tuesday, but does not appear to contain any unexpected vices.
Auckland, led by Dion Nash after Blair Pocock's neck injury was a problem - the wags said he put the neck under unusual strain when watching his batting partners come and go so rapidly on Tuesday - left out Brooke Walker, the New Zealand leg-spinner. ND are resting Joseph Yovich.
High clouds greeted the teams at the start, but the locals are not expecting any rain.
The umpires are Brent Bowden, Tony Hill and Doug Cowie (TV) and the teams are:
Northern Districts: Robbie Hart, James Marshall, Hamish Marshall, Michael Parlane, Mark Bailey, Grant Bradburn, Daniel Vettori, Simon Doull, Alex Tait, Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, Joseph Yovich (12th man).
Auckland: Dion Nash, Adam Parore, Aaron Barnes, Lou Vincent, Tama Canning, Kyle Mills, Andre Adams, Mark Haslam, Chris Drum, Llorne Howell, Terry Crabb, Brooke Walker (12th man).
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 18 Jan2001 - 10:23