Final: Auckland v Wellington at Albany, 18 Nov 2001 CricInfo Live Report

Final: Auckland v Wellington at Albany, 18 Nov 2001
Lynn McConnell

Auckland innings: Auckland 1st innings, Final innings,
innings: Wellington 1st innings, Wellington 2nd innings,

WELLINGTON MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW IN MAX

Wellington made it a hat-trick of Max championships when beating Auckland by eight runs in today's final at North Harbour Stadium at Albany.

Auckland's chase for the winning target of 110 threatened to be almost over before it started with Wellington claiming three wickets, Aaron Barnes, Llorne Howell and Kyle Mills, for 15 runs before the end of the second over.

James Franklin proved the vital element for Welllington again. After Andrew Penn bowled Aaron Barnes with the last ball of the first over, Franklin bowled his only over of the innings and had Howell caught with his third ball.

Kyle Mills, promoted to No 4, looked to hit out from the start of his innings and hit a lovely six from James Franklin, a rare event in this game. But Franklin showed his mettle by continuing to bowl tightly and backed by good fielding he saw the dangerous Mills run out, courtesy of the third umpire.

Penn conceded 10 runs from the third over, then when Matthew Walker was introduced for the fourth over he saw Andre Adams launch a low-flying missile over the Max boundary for six and followed that with a fine glance that eluded leg slip to go for four.

Those blows succeeded in getting Auckland right back into the hunt, taking 20 from the over as Auckland finished the fourth on 47/3.

Four came to Adams off the first ball from Penn's next over, he then hit a huge six just wide of the Max zone at long on, then speared another four over gully off the next. However, a single exposed Tane Topia to the fire and he holed out to a superb diving catch by Shane Battock at deep square leg.

But if Wellington thought things were going their way, the last ball of Penn's over was straight hit by Adams for a Max six, leaving Auckland 72/5 after five overs.

Seven runs came from Matthew Walker's over which left Auckland needing 31 in four overs.

When Adams hit a two from the second ball of Walker's over he registered the fastest 50 of the weekend off 14 balls. However, his demise came when Hitchcock bowled him for 52 from 18 balls. But, more importantly, from Wellington's viewpoint only three runs came from the over.

Mayu Pasupati replaced Walker and while conceding a wide, he had Canning caught at deep mid-wicket for six, and the equation started to climb against Auckland. The pressure went right back on the Wellington bowlers however as sensible accumulation by Horne and Rob Nichol saw 10 runs taken off the eighth over, leaving Auckland needing 18 off the last two overs.

Hitchcock again bowled tightly to see only four runs taken from the over.

Auckland needed 14 off the last over. It was bowled by Matthew Walker. Singles came off the first two balls, the third was scoreless, the fourth was a single, as was the fifth with a Max cordon of nine players. All Richard Morgan could do with the last ball was hit it for a single and the game was Wellington's by eight runs.

It was a bold effort by Auckland, dominated by Andre Adams' rescue mission and the tight bowling of the Wellingtonians under pressure.

AUCKLAND SCRAP THEIR WAY BACK INTO MAX FINAL

Wellington left Auckland with a glimmer of hope when failing to build a position of power in their second innings of the State Max final at North Harbour Stadium at Albany today.

Going into the innings with a 24-run lead, Wellington stuttered their way through without getting as firm a grip on the bowling as they managed in the first innings.

Sitting on a 24-run first innings lead, Wellington started slowly with three fours struck in the second over they looked to be on their way but Chris Nevin and Phil Chandler were back in the pavilion by the end of the third over with 29 runs on the board. However, Grant Donaldson took on the scoring mantle and hit 21 from 11 balls before he was out leg before wicket to Andre Adams.

But the bonus wicket for Auckland was Richard Petrie, given out caught by the third umpire from a television replay after he had scored 17 runs from 11 runs.

That left Wellingon on 53/4 in the sixth over with a lead of 77, not enough under the circumstances. Adams kept the pressure on with only five from the seventh over.

Mayu Pasupati and Scott Golder kept the score ticking over through Tama Canning's eighth over until Canning had Pasupati caught by a diving Aaron Barnes at mid-wicket to leave Welllington 71/5.

Adams struck again when bowling Walker while Chris Drum, who was saved until the last over had the wicket of the potentially dangerous big-hitter Andrew Penn for one and restricting Wellington to 83/7.

Adams had two for 19 off three overs while Drum's successful last over cost five runs for the one wicket.

The test for Auckland now is to avoid the collapse that almost knee-capped them in the first innings.

AUCKLAND ROCKED BY SUPERB WELLINGTON ATTACK

Auckland had a first innings collapse to end up 24 behind Wellington on the first innings of the State Max final at Albany's North Harbour Stadium today.

James Franklin and Mayu Pasupati were in outstanding touch, Franklin especially, as the Aucklanders were decimated by quality bowling.

Franklin's form from the first game continued into the final when he rocked the Aucklanders in the first over.

Both Llorne Howell and Matt Horne departed to catches and in the third over, his second, he had Andre Adams leg before wicket by which time Auckland were 9/3.

He should have had a fourth if the laws of cricket had been followed when umpire Doug Cowie gave Kyle Mills out caught behind. But after giving the decision he and square leg umpire Brent Bowden had a consultation and the decision was reversed. Mills wasn't able to case in and was run out in the next over by Grant Donaldson. When Aaron Barnes was caught at long on by Pasupati and Auckland were reeling at 17/5 with Franklin having taken four for six runs in the innings.

Tama Canning hit out for a six from Shane Battock's first over, the sixth, and then boosted Auckland's total considerably with a Max six hit for 12 runs.

While Tane Topia hit out for 25 runs off 13 balls, the arrival of Pasupati at the bowling crease continued the Auckland demise by taking three for 19 off two overs.

WELLINGTON HITS OUT FOR COMPETITIVE TOTAL

Wellington got a competitive 98/6 in the first innings of the State Max final against Auckland at North Harbour Stadium at Albany today.

Left-arm medium pacer Richard Morgan came into the Auckland team for the final in place of Terry Crabb.

He bowled two wides in his opening over which produced a total of nine runs.

Kyle Mills saw his first ball go into the Max zone to double the two runs taken and the second ball was swung for four behind square by Nevin. However, Nevin hit the fourth ball high to the cover boundary where Tama Canning held the chance with the score on 17.

Morgan bowled another wide in his second over but also claimed the second wicket of the innings with Chandler caught just outside the Max zone by Andre Adams to leave Wellington 26/2 after two overs.

More trouble followed in the fourth over when Grant Donaldson was bowled by Mills for four.

Some order returned to proceedings in the fifth over when Richard Petrie and Scott Golder took a boundary each from Morgan's third over.

Chris Drum came in for the sixth over and went for 22 runs including a Max six blasted by Petrie. But Tama Canning struck back in the seventh over when he had Petrie stumped by wicket-keeper Reece Young from a wide. Petrie's potential for danger was highlighted by his 23 coming from nine balls.

Mayu Pasupati came in and struck some lovely off drives but found Andre Adams jumping out of his skin in and around the Max zone to prevent the shots reaching the boundary. Pasupati was run out by a great throw from the boundary by Rob Nichol and Golder was bowled by Canning in the same over.

Wellington could only take five runs from the last over of the innings to end on 98/6.

Andre Adams' one over cost only three runs while Mills took two for 12 from his two overs and Canning two for 21 off two overs.