Auckland gathered in several Shell Trophy records as they annihilated Northern Districts by an innings and 275 runs before lunch on the fourth day of the Trophy match on the Auckland Outer Oval today.

Auckland opened the match with a first innings of 547 for eighth wickets declared, their biggest against ND, and Northern Districts were removed for 195 yesterday and 77 today.

This was the biggest innings defeat suffered by a team in the Shell Trophy competition, if still below several first class margins when the Plunket Shield (which included Hawkes Bay for a time) was the championship trophy.

The only bigger post-war innings margins were by Australia against Otago in 1949-50 (an innings and 356) and West Indies against New Zealand in 1994-95 (an innings and 322 runs) This was also a record Auckland defeat of ND, but the big Auckland first innings, while their best in trophy matches and post-war, was only sixth on Auckland's list, topped by the 693 for nine declared against Canterbury in the 1939-40 season.

In contrast ND's 77 was their ninth worst - bottom being their 32 against Auckland in 1996-97.

For an awkward moment or two there seemed the possible that the number of lbw decisions, as ND tried to survive on a difficult pitch, might also reach a record.

There were two given, in consecutive balls, by Test umpire Brent Bowden last evening as ND slumped to 20 for three in their second innings. Kevin Manley, the umpire in his first big match, added two more lbw decisions soon after the start of play today, and followed up with two more as the ND second innings stuck on 59 while four wickets fell.

Manley was often in the spotlight, for the Auckland bowlers and fieldsmen, sensing a quick and decisive victory, appealed vigorously for lbws and catches, and seemed most unhappy when two appeals for catches were turned down by Manley.

It was a rigorous introduction for Manley, but afterward common-sense prevailed, neither camp would be drawn into comment about the umpiring, and Grant Bradburn's apparent comment to Manley when given out lbw was not followed by any official action.

The ND players showed similar poise when they accepted the nasty tricks the wearing pitch played on them.

There had been the occasional low bounce yesterday while Bradburn and Matthew Hart tried in their 119-run to rescue the ND first innings. The bounce became more uncertain the longer the match went on in sunny weather, and the Aucklanders were quick to make the most of this ample assistance.

Basically they needed only to bowl at a brisk pace, aim for the stumps or near the off-stump, and before too long the ball would hit the seam and zero in on the stumps, or would scuttle a little and beat the defensive stroke.

Andre Adams, who took two quick wickets last evening, was again the most dangerous Auckland bowler, and ended with the remarkable figures of 13.1-6-12-4. Adams had Matthew Hart caught, bowled the No 11 Graeme Aldridge (top-scorer with 14), and had all the ND batsmen on tenterhooks.

With his stocky build and whippy action, Adams' bowling style was perfectly suited to get whatever low bounce was available.

In the end Auckland rejoiced with their first Trophy points for the season, and the chance to keep within sight of the leaders going into their game against the early favourites, Wellington, next week.

© CricInfo