Cricket: Fatigued Ajaz says CD up for fight

Luck deserted CD Stags says Ajaz Patel. PHOTO/Paul Taylor

Spinner Ajaz Patel was exhausted after yesterday's workload, so he intended to keep his media contribution short and to the point.

Whether the Auckland Aces declare when play resumes today on 385-5 remains to be seen after the entire day-one play was lost to a leak in the covers of the wicket at Colin Maiden Park.

"The wicket kind of browned off yesterday and today it was quite nice to bat on," said Patel after the hosts won the toss and had Central Districts Stags shining the ball.

But the red-ball king tweaker said once the batsmen dug their toes in it was difficult to dismiss them, especially Black Cap left-hander Colin Munro who smashed 146 from 109 balls, including 16 boundaries and seven sixes.

"I had a really good shout against him in the first ball but I kind of feel we were a little bit unlucky but that's the way it goes and he's kind of gone on to do what he does and good at on a wicket, like that everything came off for him today."

Auckland have already picked up four first-innings bonus points.

"Ideally we want to go out there taking wickets but with it shortened to a three-day game a declaration is probably in their minds as well because it'll be such a short game that they'll have to make a play for it like we do, so either way we want to get a result out of it," Patel said of the fifth-placed Stags who will go for it if asked to bat.

Patel bowled 24 overs, including six maidens, for his two wickets for 97 runs.

The other Patel, seamer Navin, bowled 20 overs, including five maidens, for just as many wickets but conceded 57 runs to be the most frugal.

Blair Tickener took 1-67 from 17 overs, including two maidens while Jesse Ryder roled his arm for 10 wicket-less overs but was economical in going for 3.8 runs an over.