Auckland took just over and hour and a half to wipe a 122-year-old record from the almanac yesterday.
In a remarkable morning session at the University Oval in Dunedin, Auckland were dismissed for a paltry 46 - yes, 46 - in reply to Otago's first innings tally of 327.
It was Auckland's lowest score against Otago, passing the previous mark of 48 scored in Dunedin in December 1889. Amazingly, Auckland actually went on to win that match. They dismissed Otago for 62 and 68 and reached the target with eight wickets in hand.
But it is doubtful that slice of history is of any comfort to the batsmen who were dismissed yesterday.
Promising opener Jeet Raval was the first to go. He misjudged a quick single, and five overs later his teammates flooded into the shed. Bradley Cachopa and Andrew de Boorder were undone by clever swing bowling and edged to the wicketkeeper.
Otago seamer Warren McSkimming exploited the overcast conditions superbly and was also getting some useful assistance from the pitch. His first delivery was dispatched for a boundary but he finished with five for 18 from nine overs.
Ian Butler got the ball to jag back sharply to bowl Gareth Hopkins, who shouldered arms. That unsuccessful tactic proved the undoing of several of his teammates.
Having been in the relatively strong position of 18 for one, and then three for 32, Auckland lost seven wickets for 14 runs. Their innings lasted just 18 overs and 94 minutes. Extras led the way with nine and Hopkins chipped in with eight.
The talk around the ground suggested opener Raval barely had time to remove his pads before he was was required back in the middle. He narrowly avoided the indignity of recording a pair in a session when McSkimming got a delivery to cut back and fizz through to the wicketkeeper.
Auckland's lowest total is just 13, scored against Canterbury at the Auckland Domain in December 1877. There were eight extras that day and Williams Rees' score oftwo was the next best.
* Jeetan Patel fell one run short of his maiden first-class century for Wellington as they made 406 batting first against Northern Districts in Whangarei.
Patel, whose only first-class ton came against Yorkshire while enjoying a brief stint with Warwickshire in county cricket in 2009, cracked eight fours and four sixes in his 125-ball stay.
The Boult brothers, off-spinner Jono and left-arm paceman Trent, claimed three wickets each.
Northern Districts were 142 for three, with Hamish Marshall 60 not out, in reply at Cobham Oval.
At Rangiora, Andy Ellis claimed his second five-wicket bag for Canterbury as competition leaders Central Districts were dismissed for 284. Ellis, who has enjoyed a fine season with both bat and ball, took career-best figures of six for 54 and included top-scorer Kruger van Wyk (57) among his victims.
Canterbury captain Peter Fulton led the reply for the home side, but he became left-armer Ben Wheeler's third victim when he was trapped lbw for 52.
The hosts were 185 for four at stumps, 99 runs behind Central.
- Otago Daily Times and NZPA
