Cricket: Wobbles turn into Shaw thing

Paul Hitchcock cracked 19 runs for Auckland before falling to tidy bowling from Bradley Scott. Picture / Dean Purcell

Aucklander Gareth Shaw made a bitter-sweet return to Eden Park for Otago in the State Championship yesterday.

The 24-year-old, who shifted south to advance his cricket career this season, could take great satisfaction from his five-wicket haul as Auckland reached 272 in their first innings after being put in by the southerners.

But Shaw's first over was one he would prefer to forget. He started with a no-ball, then followed with a wide from which two runs were scored. The third delivery was a beautiful inswinging yorker that spreadeagled the stumps of Matt Horne for a duck.

Four wides and three no-balls later, the 15-ball over finally ended. He had one more ill-directed over before taking a break.

It said much for his resilience that he came back in the middle of the innings to take two key wickets in an over and wrapped up the innings with two more to finish with 5-49 - his best first-class figures.

Auckland had captain Richard Jones and sheet anchor Rob Nicol to thank for their respectable total when the pitch offered early encouragement to the bowlers.

Jones opened the innings and scored freely while first Tim McIntosh and then Horne were dismissed without scoring in the first hour. He shared a 98-run partnership with Nicol before he was caught at second slip off Shaw for 79, including 12 fours.

Kyle Mills went in the same over, caught at the wicket for a duck, but Nicol and Tama Canning added 79 before Nicol fell to the second new ball for 73. As he has so often this season, Nicol steadied the innings with a 276-minute stay at the crease during which more than 200 runs were scored. The Otago bowlers were guilty of letting Auckland off the hook with too many wasted deliveries in the opening stages. Left-armer Bradley Scott was tidy for his two wickets and Warren McSkimming dismissed Nicol, Canning and Reece Young with the second new ball.

Otago lost opener Jordan Sheed to be 12-1 at stumps.

Wellington v ND

The undoubted talent of Jessie Ryder surfaced again as a classy century put Wellington in control against Northern Districts in Wellington.

Ryder's 141 carried the competition leaders to 344-6 at the Basin Reserve, falling late in the day when he was bowled by Joseph Yovich.

The 252-minute innings featured 21 fours and one six and displayed the sort of shot-making that has previously seen Ryder's name put forward as an international option.

Inconsistency has dogged him in recent seasons but he was in a class of his own yesterday, compiling century partnerships with Neal Parlane and Chris Nevin, who made 57 and 56 respectively.

Yovich removed Wellington captain Matthew Bell with the first ball of the day but the Northern bowling attack generally struggled.

There were two wickets each for Yovich and fellow-opener Graeme Aldridge, who was arguably the pick of their bowlers.

Canterbury v CD

A late Canterbury collapse kept Central Districts in the hunt at QEII Village Green in Christchurch.

At 240-3 the hosts appeared on course for a sizeable first innings lead but their next six wickets fell for 68 as they reached 308-9.

It left Central Districts in the picture as they seek to erase memories of their State Shield loss to Canterbury at the same ground a week ago.

Shanan Stewart top-scored for Canterbury with 83, getting good support from opener Gary Stead's 67 as the pair shared a 109-run second-wicket stand.

However, the Canterbury tail folded quickly with only No 11 Richard Sherlock able to stay with Andrew Ellis.

Central opening bowlers Lance Hamilton and Ewen Thompson were both plagued by no-ball problems before bouncing back to finish with 2-55 and 3-63 respectively.

- Additional reporting NZPA