If anthropologists in future generations study cricket for a clue to man's lifestyle as revealed by his pleasures, they might reconstruct the record of the Shell Trophy match between Wellington and Central Districts at McLean Park and find it a classic example of the genre.

In cricket they find a microcosm of man's life - his search for challenge, his desire to dominate and his eagerness to succeed, his struggle for control of his environment and his ultimate, philosophical acceptance that all of life has its ups and downs.

In that respect this match holds a mirror to life and provides an example of cricket played in its most pure and conventional form. It has all the ingredients of fine cricket, notably a pitch that favours the batsmen only slightly over the bowlers, two teams of comparable strength urged on by conflicting incentives, a backdrop of fine weather and a luscious setting, with the sea peeking inquisitively over the furthest precincts of the ground.

On examination of the events of the first two days, future scientists will find Wellington dismissed for 415 in 148.1 overs after having lost the toss and being compelled to bat and Central, by Wednesday's stumps, tenuously but competitively placed at 151-3 in reply.

And then, in deeper examination, they will find a match constructed of remarkable ups and downs in which the initiative has most often but not always with Wellington after their powerful start on the first day, yet with Central doggedly, resiliently chipping at that control.

By the end of the second session on the first day, when Wellington, was 184-1, the visitors were overwhelmingly in charge of proceedings and Matthew Bell, their leader by status and example, was on his way to an innings of 117. But through the last session on Tuesday and the first session today, Central secured seven wickets and had Wellington much more precariously placed at 354-8 by lunch this afternoon.

Three innings today, and innings of starkly contrasting nature, turned the struggle back in Wellington's favour. The first was that of Grant Donaldson who was at the crease, 25 not out, when Wellington resumed this morning at 269-5, having batted 21overs on Wednesday night. The others were the alloping late-order efforts of Andrew Penn and Carl Bulfin, through whose efforts Wellington added 61 for their last two wickets.

Donaldson, patient and determined, batted a further 28 overs today, a total of 201 minutes, to reach 66 - his second-highest Trophy score - and to carry Wellington to 343-7, acting as a brake against the mid-innings decline.

His fastidious innings - he scored most often with placements within the ground's broad boundaries - left a platform from which Penn and Bulfin could launch their assault on the bowling.

Penn was as watchful as Donaldson at first but his innings had two distinct halves. While with Donaldson, adding 39 for the sixth wicket, he played with respectful deference to his senior partner. Put with Bulfin, a much more exuberent batsman, disrespectful of bowling attacks, he let shine his more aggressive nature.

The pair took Wellington from 354-8 at lunch through 400 in the first 30 minutes of the second session and added 55 for the ninth wicket in 40 minutes before Penn was out for 43. Bulfin went on to reach 32 from 35 balls with two fours and a six and was the last man out at 415.

Central might have been daunted by such a total, at least briefly cowed, and they might have considered their best means to approach such a target was through great stealth and tempered application.

Instead, international opener Craig Spearman launched the innings as if he had a bus to catch and Central sprinted to 32 in only five overs, Spearman taking 19 runs from 21 balls with four fours.

He paid the price for his incaution at that point and was trapped lbw by Iain O'Brien four balls after the first bowling change of the innings.

David Kelly, who was nine when Spearman vanished, went on to 18 in 69 minutes and was bowled by spinner Mark Jefferson, in his second over of the day, when Central was 58. Once again the balance of the match had turned towards Wellington.

But Ben Smith became the next figure to step into the spotlight and, on Central's behalf, to disturb the match's equilibrium. He quickly found his feet against the medium pacers and with a wide array of shots played from a comfortable, compact stance, raced to 55 from 101 balls.

Smith, a Leicestershire professional on sabbatical, has scored many runs for Central this season in doses of 50 and more. Today's were among his most valuable. He was only briefly in Kelly's company but he added 64 runs with Glen Sulzberger before falling victim to the young spinner Jeetan Patel.

Sulzberger, who had been the best of the Central bowlers, taking 4-79 from 37 overs including the wickets of Bell, Donaldson and Penn, found himself promoted in the order and offered the chance to influence proceedings with the bat.

He served as Smith's junior partner then on his dismissal took charge of a partnership with Mark Douglas which had added 29 by stumps. Sulzberger was 26 not out and Douglas 18.

© CricInfo