KEY POINTS:
Andre Adams won't be getting many Christmas cards in two weeks' time, at least not from the nation's first class batsmen.
Having pulled the pin on one day international cricket - temporarily at least - to concentrate on bowling in the longer form of the game, Adams has
successfully remodelled himself as a deadly strike weapon.
The mercurial all-rounder claimed his third five-wicket bag of the season yesterday, returning match figures of 10-58 as Auckland routed Northern Districts by an innings and six runs at Eden Park's outer oval. He has now taken 29 wickets in four matches at a remarkable average of 8.3.
Northern began the day 107 runs in arrears with seven second innings wickets in hand but wilted in the face of some hostile bowling from Adams and left-armer Andy McKay to capitulate before lunch.
McKay bowled superbly to return figures of 3-18 but there was no stealing Adams' thunder as he scythed through Northern's flimsy batting lineup.
Northern's capitulation would suggest they were batting on a minefield but Adams described the pitch as flat.
"The new ball seams here, that's all there is to it," he said. "If you get through that then you stand a chance. If you don't, you are in deep [trouble]."
Northern didn't - and they were.
Adams attributed the latest of what has been a bountiful flow of wickets to a minor technical adjustment, a couple of fortunate umpiring decisions and, most importantly, the match-winning record partnership between Reece Young and Greg Morgan on Tuesday.
The 151-run ninth-wicket stand crushed Northern's spirit, making yesterday a bit of a formality, Adams said.
"It was one of those games where you knew how it was going to go. After that partnership, it always felt like we were going to win. Everyone knows Reece can bat but he has just gotten better in the last couple of years. And for Greg to come out and play with that control in his first game, that was just priceless. You don't expect that from a new guy. He gave us something to bowl at.
"We got the wickets [yesterday] but it was more a result of their being in the negative after such an amazing partnership."
Having knocked the top off Northern's second innings in the gloom of late Tuesday evening, Adams and McKay continued on their merry way from the outset yesterday.
McKay removed night watchman Bruce Martin in short order and Adams dispatched Mark Orchard for a duck, although Orchard could count himself unlucky to be given out caught behind. When Lance Shaw induced an edge from skipper James Marshall to Keeley Todd at third slip with his first ball of the day, Northern were dead and buried at 30-6.
Daniel Flynn and Joseph Yovich put on 52 in the only show of resistance before Adams broke the stand in spectacular style.
Flynn, who scored an unbeaten 60 in the first innings, had looked just as comfortable in the second, before he slapped a sharp return chance back at Adams who clutched it in two hands.
Peter McGlashan slashed a catch to Colin De Grandholme in the gully to present Adams with his fifth wicket of the innings and his 10th for the match came when Graham Aldridge became the fifth lbw victim of the innings.
McKay wrapped up the match when Tim Southee slashed the ball to gully where Adams fittingly pouched a comfortable catch.
