Howick Pakuranga have closed appreciably on leading side, Grafton, in the race for the Auckland premier club cricket championship after beating North Shore yesterday by six wickets.

But it was not the side's star line-up who engineered the victory.

Their hero was medium-pacer, Brad Neilson whose 7-37 on the first day of the match played on Saturday sent Shore packing for 112 and he then combined with Blair Pocock (3-68) with 5-23 to dismiss Shore for 194 and set up a chase of 193 for maximum points.

Pocock (55) and his Aces team mates, John Aiken (32) and Richard King (45no) wasted no time in making that score.

HP trailed by nearly 12 points starting the match and next Saturday go into the final round before the play-offs just 7.40 adrift.

The big loser was last season's champion side, Cornwall, who trailed East Coast Bays on the first innings and with Grafton left to play they are in danger of missing the play-offs with four sides breathing hard down their necks.

Parnell started the round in second place but made to follow on by Grafton clung on desperately with a brilliantly compiled 90 by Tim McIntosh to deny the leading side maximum points. But the loss dropped them back to third on the table.

Suburbs New Lynn climbed off the bottom of the ladder by heading Takapuna on the first innings.

Most of the day's action came in the first division where the three leading sides, Birkenhead, Waitakere City and Papatoetoe gained outright wins. But Papatoetoe have drifted off the pace by 28.4 points after conceding a first innings lead to University Akarana.

Waitakere City compiled 326-4 declared with the grade's leading rungetter, Richard Pudney, scoring an unbeaten 176, and they twice dismissed Eden Roskill for 156.

Birkenhead had Chris Drum in a rampant mood on the opening day with 7-8 in Ellerslie's first innings and when he could not bowl the second day left it to Terry Crabb to inflict the damage with 7-57.

Scores:

Premier grade: (Round 6, second day of two)

North Shore 112 and 194 (D McGuigan 70, H Smith 41, J Stuart 39; B Neilson 5-23, B Pocock 3-17) lost to Howick Pakuranga 114-5 dec and 194-4 (B Pocock 55, R King 45no, J Aiken 32) by 6 wickets.

Grafton 238 drew with Parnell 118 (Cam Fawkner 36; G Coleman 5-29, S Gear 3-17) and 204-9 (T McIntosh 90; D Paynter 3-28, T Topia 3-50).

Cornwall 205 and 104-2 (D Storer 59no) drew with East Coast Bays 221 (L Howell 42, M Sanders 36; H Davis 4-64, S Ranchhod 3-85).

Suburbs New Lynn 292 and 65-3 dec (R Smith 3-20 ) drew with Takapuna 210 (D Todd 65, M Barrell 32; N Watson 4-55, D Eliaba 3-33) and 9-0.

Points: Grafton 78.22, Howick Pak 70.82, Parnell 62.19, Cornwall 52.18, ECB 50.37, N Shore 48.88, SNL 45.46, Takapuna 45.20.

First grade:

University Akarana 302 and 78-6 dec (J Gurnack 4-26) lost to Papatoetoe 175 (C Boroughs 57, N Edwards 54; J Lintott 6-54) and 207-5 (A Clarke 92no, G Shaw 48; J Lintott 4-62) by 5 wickets.

Ellerslie 67 and 176 (M Cribbins 48, J Gibson 44; T Crabb 7-51) lost to Birkenhead City 147-8 dec and 100-2 (P Trainor 33no, M Clarke 33) by 8 wickets.

Eden Roskill 156 and 156 (D Bruce 34; M Rawnsley 5-22) lost to Waitakere City 326-4 dec (R Pudney 176no, C Todd 50) by an innings and 14 runs.

Points: Birkenhead 85.81, Waitakere 82.46, Papatoetoe 54.06, Eden Roskill 45.55, Ellerslie 42.65, University 42.09.

© CricInfo