Cricket: Auckland set for outright

By CHRIS RATTUE

Auckland kept their foot firmly on Northern Districts' throat as they took their first Shell Trophy points of the season yesterday, but captain Blair Pocock was not celebrating as he might.

Auckland secured the two first-innings points when they dismissed Northern for 195 and, with a first-innings lead of 352, they forced the follow on.

Northern were in deep trouble last night, as if they were not in enough strife already, when Andre Adams got rid of Hamish Marshall and Mark Bailey before nightwatchman Daryl Tuffey denied him a hat-trick.

Tuffey soon departed, though, and Northern were stumbling at 20 for three at stumps, needing 332 to make Auckland bat again.

Pocock took no part in yesterday's play on the Eden Park outer oval after suffering another shoulder injury, this time while playing touch football with his team-mates after the second day's play.

Pocock has already had two reconstructions on the shoulder, plus two other operations, and will have a scan on the latest injury today after the swelling has gone down.

He was already in need of a touch-up operation on the shoulder after this season, but should find out today if more surgery is needed immediately.

Dion Nash took over the captaincy as Auckland saw off dogged resistance from Matthew Hart to take the final six first-innings wickets.

Hart and Grant Bradburn batted through the morning session, but on a pitch with increasingly variable bounce, their survival task was becoming more difficult.

Bradburn had an escape on 37 when he snicked a Mark Haslam delivery between wicketkeeper Lou Vincent and slip Tama Canning.

And Haslam, who must have thought cricket justice had completely deserted him, looked even unluckier when umpire Kevin Manley turned down an leg-before decision when left-hander Matthew Hart failed to offer a stroke.

Haslam even took to appealing twice in his frustration, but when the umpire did find his finger it was not to Haslam's direct advantage.

Adams gained the decision which removed Hart after 5 1/2 hours of batting which brought him 80, and with Bradburn already gone for 63, Northern's tail quickly surrendered.

Northern have been left with one aim in the match, to deny Auckland outright points.

Adams, the stocky medium fast bowler who produced a magical batting display on the second day, could be the key as Auckland set about taking the final Northern wickets.

He can skid the ball through and with the wicket producing more and more low fliers, he could profit today.

Both of his second-innings wickets came from deliveries that kept low.

After yesterday, it is hard to see Northern surviving the final day.