Auckland aim to stick with winning ways

Wellington cannot expect any drop in intensity when they play Auckland in their top-of-the-table State Championship clash today.

Auckland go into the four-day match on Eden Park's main oval 14 points clear of the field and virtually assured of first-round honours.

But with the points from the first five matches - the fifth round will be played from February 21-24 - being carried over to the second stage of the round-robin competition, there will be no letting up from Brooke Walker and his team.

"We want to keep winning." Auckland coach Mark O'Donnell said yesterday.

"With three outrights from three behind us, we want to make it five-from-five.

"Wellington are a useful side - they have lost only Stephen Fleming to the Black Caps - but we have done okay as well. We thought we might have lost either Andre [Adams] or Tama [Canning], but we haven't."

O'Donnell, still mindful of Auckland's poor record in their first five one-day State Shield matches this season, hopes his team can carry this new-found momentum into the one-dayers, which start again next Friday.

"The top order has found some form, which is encouraging. That has, in part, been due to good wickets, especially on the outer oval at Eden Park," he said. "It is better than last year.

"For this game we are using the same wicket used for the one-dayer between the Blacks Caps and Sri Lanka. It was a good strip then and should be even better now. After a year in the tray, drop-in pitches should settle nicely."

The downside for Auckland is the return to the main ground. They have not played there for a couple of seasons, so can hardly claim any home advantage.

It will be the first time Auckland have played the longer game on the ground under O'Donnell, who is looking for more of the same from Richard Jones, Matt Horne and Lou Vincent at the top of the batting.

"It's the best I've seen Horne bat, Jones has now scored his first century for Auckland, and Vincent's unbeaten 185 against Central Districts was as good as you would ever see."

O'Donnell also takes some comfort from his side's fielding.

"We didn't drop any catches against Central and the fielding has been very good."

The choice of Auckland's 12th man will rest between Carl Cachopa and Gareth Shaw depending on the decision to take either an extra batsman or bowler as the replacement for Kyle Mills.

The match starts at 10.30am.

The Teams

Auckland (from): Brooke Walker (c), Andre Adams, Aaron Barnes, Carl Cachopa, Tama Canning, Matt Horne, Richard Jones, Rob Nicol, Gareth Shaw, Lou Vincent, Kerry Walmsley, Reece Young.

Wellington (from): Matthew Bell (c), James Franklin, Mark Gillespie, Stu Mills, Chris Nevin, Iain O'Brien, Michael Parlane, Neal Parlane, Jeetan Patel, Jesse Ryder, Josh Stewart, Luke Woodcock.