Match D: Auckland v Wellington at Albany, 17 Nov 2001 CricInfo Live Report

Match D: Auckland v Wellington at Albany, 17 Nov 2001
Lynn McConnell

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

AUCKLAND HOME IN 3.3 OVERS

Andrew Penn produced just the sort of first over to make Auckland nervous. He conceded only six runs, two of them wides, while taking the wickets of Llorne Howell and Aaron Barnes from successive balls. He had to wait for the completion of James Franklin's first over to have the chance for his hat-trick.

Franklin also bowled tightly and went very close to picking up the wicket of Matt Horne when Richard Jones couldn't quite reach the high chance.

Kyle Mills faced up to the hat-trick ball to deny Penn his hat-trick. However, Auckland's hunt for the win meant accuracy alone was never going to be enough for Penn and Horne and Mills posted 23 from three overs.

And with Shane Battock coming into the attack for the fourth over, it took Mills only three balls to put the issue beyond doubt.

An off-driven four off the first ball was followed by a Max drive for four which left only a single from the third ball to seal the win.

It took only 3.3 overs for Auckland to take the eight-wicket win.

It will now play in the final at 2pm tomorrow with its rival to be decided in the Wellington-Otago contest at 9.45am tomorrow.

WELLINGTON STRUGGLE FOR SECOND TIME IN GAME

Auckland's attack proved the dominant factor in the State Max match with Wellington which pitted last year's finalists together at Albany's North Harbour Stadium today.

Starting 41 runs behind Auckland on the first innings, Wellington found themselves needing to stave off a hat-trick to keep their hopes alive of setting a reasonable target.

Chris Nevin and Grant Donaldson were dismissed off successive deliveries by Kyle Mills at the end of the successive over. Richard Petrie faced the hat-trick ball but came down the wicket and put it over the mid-wicket boundary for six runs.

But even before the deficit had been wiped out Wellington was even deeper in strife when one of its key hitters Richard Petrie was senselessly run out. It was four and a half overs before the 41-run deficit was wiped off when Phil Chandler hit four to mid-wicket.

The loss of Scott Golder in the seventh over for 24 with Wellington having just brought up the 50 was untimely, but the cause was even worse off when Chandler was out in the eighth over for 16. With two overs left, Wellington led by only 22. Only eight runs came off the penultimate over.

Wellington face an early rise tomorrow morning in an effort to beat Otago in order to qualify for the final tomorrow afternoon.

Adams completed a fine bowling effort by finishing the innings with two for 11 from his two overs.

Wellington finished on 76/6 which left Auckland needing 36 to win.

AUCKLAND IN STRONGEST POSITION

Auckland set itself up with a great chance of taking an automatic finals berth when taking a 41-run first innings lead over Wellington in the State Max at North Harbour Stadium in Albany today.

James Franklin opened the bowling for Wellington with a good breeze at his back and immediately set about emulating the Auckland bowlers who put so much pressure on the Wellington batsmen.

He had almost immediate reward when claiming the wicket of Auckland captain Matt Horne caught at mid-wicket. However, Llorne Howell swung four through the same area as Horne succumbed.

Aaron Barnes scored 18 before departing in Shane Battock's first over which conceded 15 runs. However, the run flow was stemmed by a superb third over from Franklin who yielded only one run.

Matthew Walker, a bowler who in the past has produced some match-winning performances, paid the price when he conceded two sixes and a four as 20 runs were plundered by Auckland.

Fourteen runs followed in the seventh over as Andre Adams took control with some powerful hitting.

Adams was caught after hitting a full toss, but after a consultation with the third umpire, Tony Hill ruled the ball had been above waist height and was called as a no ball.

Adams ensured a comfortable first innings lead as he went into the last over on 39 and Auckland were aided by four wides conceded by Paul Hitchcock, an infringement actually worth six runs. The expense was compounded when an off drive into the Max zone was missed by Mayu Pasupati and it went on to the boundary for an eight.

Having achieved his 50 off 21 balls, and also helping Auckland to the highest score of the tournament, Adams was bowled by Hitchcock for 51.

Twenty runs came off the last over to give Auckland a comfortable lead of 41 runs on the first innings.

POOR START BY WELLINGTON IN TITLE DEFENCE

Defending champions State Wellington had a miserable start to the defence of their State Max title when batting first in their game with Auckland at North Harbour Stadium in Albany today.

Wellington lost Chris Nevin in the first over, a very tight over bowled by Chris Drum which conceded only six runs, and that was inflated by the extra ball in what was a seven-ball over called by umpire Brent Bowden.

Kyle Mills was similarly frugal in his opening over, conceding only seven runs, four of them an elegant cover drive by Grant Donaldson. In the next over however, he hit Drum to mid-wicket then next ball was caught in the same position as Nevin expired, also caught by Tama Canning. Wellington were 18/2 at that stage.

Wellington proceeded to disintegrate under the weight of the Auckland attack through the middle stages with Scott Golder caught at mid-off from Kyle Mills' bowling then from the second ball of Sam Whiteman's first over, the sixth of the innings, Phil Chandler ran himself out. He played the ball slightly in front of him, lost sight of it, and Whiteman was down the wicket in a flash to whip the ball back to wicket-keeper to take the bails off.

A lockless Tama Canning conceded 10 runs off his first over, then in the eighth, Shane Battock attempted to pick things up and played one lovely extra cover drive for four but just as Wellington needed him to carry on he was bowled by Canning for 12.

Going into the last over Wellington were a paltry 67/6.

Richard Petrie swung into the first ball from Andre Adams and deposited over the fence behind square leg for six, but next ball didn't get onto the ball and was caught by Matt Horne at mid-wicket for 20.

Then Matthew Walker hit the ball to mid-off where a smart piece of fielding by Sam Whiteman resulted in Andrew Penn being run out attempting a second run.

Auckland finished strongly having Wellington 80/8 at the end of the innings.