POWERFUL BATTING SETS WELLINGTON UP

They scored 34 more runs than they were able to achieve in a disappointing first innings, and that came courtesy of the annual block-busting innings by Richard Petrie who was 52 not out off 19 balls.

Kerry Walmsley struck a vital blow off the first ball of the game having Chris Nevin caught off the first ball of the innings, courtesy of a well-timed leaping catch by Scott Waide at point.

Chandler might have struggled in the first innings but produced the goods in the second, when taking three fours and a single off successive balls to compensate for the loss of Nevin. He rubbed salt into the Otago wound by taking eight off the penultimate ball of Walmsley's second over to see Wellington at 34/1 after three.

Craig Pryor came in for the fourth over and suffered at the hands of a bizarre shot by Chandler from his first ball. Before Pryor had released the ball, Chandler was crouched down the pitch with his bat ready to paddle the ball. Pryor saw him waiting and changed his delivery only to see a mis-hit squirt to long leg for four runs.

Later in the same over however, a fine return from the deep resulted in Chandler being run out for 31, scored off a much healthier 15 balls in comparison to his first innings effort. After four overs Wellington were 45/2.

David Sewell bowled the fifth over and removed Scott Golder for seven and at the halfway stage Wellington were 54/3, a lead of 59 runs.

Grant Donaldson was bowled for nine by Cumming who had five runs only scored from his first over.

A further blow for Otago was struck when Sewell bowled Mayu Pasupati in the seventh over to leave Wellington at 60/5 however, Richard Petrie was still at the crease and a constant threat. Sewell did well to complete his two overs to have two for 12, a great comeback from the none for 26 from his two first innings overs.

Petrie proved his worth in tight situations when after Wellington had gone 20 balls without a boundary he unleashed a big six in the eighth over to position Wellington at 73/5 with two overs left.

Petrie then demolished James McMillan's tournament by taking 34 runs from the penultimate over. He had two Max sixes for 12 runs and two fours. After providing some of the most demanding overs through the earlier stages of the tournament, he finished with 45 runs from his two overs.

In the last over, Petrie brought up his half century off 17 balls, the fastest of the tournament. And by finishing 51 not out, he helped Wellington to 117/6, a lead of 122 runs.

FRANKLIN LEADS OUTSTANDING RESPONSE

Despite bowling a wide from the first ball of his first over, an automatic two runs under Max laws, he conceded only two singles and bowled Craig Cumming to result in a first over costing only four runs.

Andrew Penn started tidily with the second over but the dangerous Andrew Hore took six and four, both hit behind square leg, to lift the score to 16/1 after two overs.

Franklin returned to maintain the pressure in his second over, the third, to remove Hore who was caught in a fly slip position for 12 runs to leave Otago at 17/2.

Matthew Walker, historically one of the better performers in Max cricket, produced just the sort of over needed when seven runs were taken, the last ball going for four from Brendon McCullum through gully. After four overs, Otago were struggling at 27/2. If Pryor was outstanding with his bowling for Otago, Franklin was brilliant for Wellington conceding only 14 runs from his first three overs. It resulted in Otago struggling to only 34/2 after five overs.

While Shane Battock had 14 runs off his first over Otago were battling at 48/2 after six overs.

Paul Hitchcock proved effective in maintaining the pressure through the seventh over as only eight runs were scrambled by McCullum and Chris Gaffaney.

Mayu Pasupati, bowling his first over of the tournament, conceded a wide first ball but then had McCullum caught in the gully next ball as Otago slumped to 58/3.

Eleven runs came off the over but further harm to the Otago was done off the third ball of the ninth over when an outstanding diving catch in the Max zone was completed by Pasupati to remove the hard-hitting Pryor when he might otherwise have expected to have had at least eight runs from the shot. Otago were 69/4.

If Chandler had troubles maintaining batting momentum for Wellington, Gaffaney had similar worries going into the last over with 24 runs off 18 balls.

At the start of the tenth over, Otago were 71/4 and guilty of not building on the advantage their bowlers had provided them with. Scott Waide was run out for four off the last ball leaving Gaffaney 28 not out.

Wellington had a five-run lead to take into the second innings.

WELLINGTON STRUGGLE TO MAKE IMPACT

Conditions were the best of the weekend with sunshine, very little wind and high temperatures.

Wellington batted first and while Chris Nevin and his new partner Phil Chandler scored 20 from the first two overs, some tight Otago bowling made a big impact through the middle stages of the innings.

Only eight runs came from the third over and four from Craig Pryor's first, the fourth over. Going into the fifth over Chandler had managed only 13 runs from seven balls but he took a Max four from David Sewell's first over while Nevin hit a six over wide mid-wicket.

At the halway stage, Wellington looked to be battling and that continued as only four runs were taken from the sixth over and five from the seventh.

Nevin was out in the eighth over for 35 having hit a fine six from Cumming's bowling but being dismissed next ball.

Chandler managed another six in the ninth from Sewell, but Pryor proved outstanding when conceding only five runs from the bat in the last over. Wellington finished on an unsatisfactory 83/1 with Pryor having an outstanding two overs for nine runs and Craig Cumming one for 12 from his two. Chandler had scored only 31 runs from 30 balls.

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Date-stamped : 18 Nov2001 - 14:35