Cricket: Auckland, Northern make strong starts in Plunket Shield

Auckland's Anaru Kitchen plays a ball past Wellington's Josh Brodie (C) and Grant Elliot. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Leaders Northern Districts and second-placed Auckland both made solid, if unspectacular, starts to their Plunket Shield cricket matches against Canterbury and Wellington respectively.

At Colin Maiden Park in Auckland, the hosts batted out the first day to reach 303-8 at stumps, with Neal Parlane and Anaru Kitchen making half centuries. It was a very different story in Rangiora, where the Knights were dismissed for 197 before Canterbury were skittled for 121 to hand the visitors a 76-run lead heading into the second day.

The other match of the round, featuring Otago taking on Central Districts, saw the opening day washed out in Queenstown.

Auckland headed into the second half of the competition trailing Northern Districts by 14 points at the top of the Plunket Shield standings, but they put themselves in good stead to close that gap with a strong day with the bat.

It didn't always look that way, however, with former New Zealand opener Tim McIntosh dismissed for a duck on the fifth ball of the morning after the Aces were sent in by Wellington captain Grant Elliott. Mark Gillespie had McIntosh caught by Josh Brodie, and Gillespie further reduced Auckland by picking up Brad Cachopa for 24.

But that brought Parlane and Kitchen together, and the pair set about consolidating Auckland's innings with a 123-run stand for the third wicket.

The partnership was eventually broken by an unlikely source, with Elliott's part-timers proving too much for Kitchen who fell for 75. And, three overs later, Wellington made it a double breakthrough when Gillespie returned to the crease to claim Parlane for 66.

The former Black Caps' seamer ended the day with 4-57, leaving Auckland set to resume tomorrow morning with Bruce Martin (13no) and Dean Bartlett (4no).

Auckland have already picked up two bonus points for their efforts under the Plunket Shield's revised scoring system, but that hasn't brought them any closer to Northern Districts who tallied four of their own.

They did that by running ruthlessly through Canterbury's batting order to secure an unlikely first innings lead. Unlikely, because Northern's batsmen were almost as bad on the Mainpower Oval pitch.

Opener Brad Wilson top-scored with 54 but, aside from James Marshall's 41, no Knights player made a score of any real substance. The result saw them dismissed just shy of 200, with Willie Lonsdale the chief destroyer in finishing with 6-41, his maiden five-wicket bag in first class cricket.

In reply, Canterbury failed to take any advantage, capitulating at a quicker rate than their visitors to show why they're winless in this year's competition. Reece Young made 55 but he was the only Cantabrian to notch more than 20 runs, as the Wizards were all out in fewer than 36 overs.

Brent Arnel claimed five wickets, while New Zealand test bowlers Trent Boult took one and Dan Vettori chimed in with a brace. Arnel then opened as a nightwatchman in the Knights' second turn with the bat, blocking out six deliveries to see his side through to stumps.