Cricket: Barnes proves point with fine double at Eden Park

By CHRIS RATTUE

Stalwart allrounder Aaron Barnes proved a major point to Auckland's cricket bosses as he led the side to their first one-day win of the season over Canterbury.

Barnes did the job with bat and ball as Auckland clinched the third-round State Shield match by three wickets at Eden Park, overhauling Canterbury's 197 with seven balls to spare.

He snared three Canterbury wickets, including top scorers Michael Papps and Chris Harris, then hit 56 in 66 balls to right Auckland's run chase before falling to a loose shot near victory.

The 31-year-old Barnes was upset when Auckland did not make him one of their 11 contracted players in his testimonial and final season.

Barnes, who made his debut in the 1993-94 season, told Auckland he would play only in the one-day competition, believing that was where his strengths now lay.

He has averaged around 27 with bat and ball for Auckland over 95 matches.

"Llorne Howell, for instance, has a contract and only plays the one-dayers," Barnes said.

"They didn't tell me why I wouldn't be contracted ... after all the games I've played I felt pretty pissed off.

"I had a good hard think about what to do. You can be bitter or you can get on with the job. And the 100-game mark was very tempting.

"When I look at my career, I could have been a better player and contributed more. But I've been given responsibility in this side as a senior player and I've got to show the way."

Barnes, an owner-operator courier driver, his wife Pamela and children Blake (6) and Amy (2) will head to a tiny North Wales seaside town - Pamela's home town - after this season. He will play cricket for the local club in the Liverpool league, and start a job in food sales.

After Canterbury chose to bat yesterday, Auckland helped them with a string of wides from opening bowlers Gareth Shaw and Andre Adams.

But Canterbury did not take advantage and had trouble timing their shots on the portable wicket.

By most accounts, it was an improved surface from that used for the Boxing Day international, although New Zealand is still working on the art of producing quality portable surfaces.

Black Cap Lou Vincent, who has returned to the State Shield to find form, fell without scoring from seven deliveries - his half-shot lobbing back to Harris.

Vincent was sharp behind the stumps, making a brilliant reverse-flick run out of Jarrod Englefield and a second-attempt stumping to dismiss Harris from Barnes' medium pace deliveries.