Cricket: Bates crushes Canty's Plunket Shield hopes

Auckland bowler Michael Bates took six wickets for 55 in a blistering display yesterday. Photo / Greg Bowker

Michael Bates yesterday took six wickets for 55, his best return in first-class cricket, as Auckland all but extinguished Canterbury's faint hopes of winning the Plunket Shield.

Put into bat on a greenish Colin Maiden Park wicket, the Southerners were all out in 49 overs for 203. At stumps Auckland were 185 for four.

Canterbury's Shield aspirations will evaporate and Northern Districts will be champions if Auckland take first-innings points.

For much of the morning it all looked so different. Bates took an early wicket but opener Michael Papps was in scintillating form, taking advantage of some loose bowling and racing past 50 at better than a run a ball with some delightful driving on the offside.

When he reached 23, he became Canterbury's all-time highest scorer, passing the 5940 runs amassed by Paul McEwan.

Peter Fulton was less flamboyant but the score was 145 for one just before lunch when off-spinner Bhupinder Singh tempted Fulton into a big shot that was caught in the deep.

By then Papps was 104 after racing to his century off 93 balls with 20 fours.

Lunch gave Canterbury indigestion. Papps was caught behind off Bates without adding to his score and the rest of the batsmen barely troubled the scorers.

Left-arm medium-pacer Bates has twice taken five wickets in an innings this season, including five for 71 to wrap up the last game against Central Districts.

He suffered a little from Papps' onslaught but found a consistent line after the break.

He moved the ball away from the bat and the Canterbury batsmen followed. Singh proved as much of a mystery, taking three for six off six overs.

When Auckland batted, openers Richard Jones and Jeet Raval put on 122 before Raval was caught close in off leg-spinner Todd Astle for 49. Jones made 89 before being caught behind to give Michael Vermuelen his first wicket at this level.

* Jesse Ryder moved a step closer to a New Zealand recall with an impressive 103 for Wellington against Otago at the Basin Reserve.

Ryder, who came to the wicket when Wellington were 122 for three, provided real impetus to his team's innings before he was dismissed with the score on 268, caught behind by Derek de Boorder off the bowling of Sam Wells, one of five catches taken by the Otago wicketkeeper.

Wellington ended the day on 328 for six, in a match which carries little importance with both teams out of the running for title honours.

Cameron Merchant and James Franklin both reached 47, while Lance Woodcock was unbeaten on 44 at stumps.

* A three-wicket burst by Central Districts bowler Michael Mason has Northern Districts on the back foot as they search for the first innings points they need to claim the Plunket Shield in their final round cricket match at Napier.

At stumps on the first day of the four-day fixture, Northern were 75 for four in their first innings after bowling Central Districts out for 217.

Mason had figures of three for 23 off 8.1 overs as he removed Northern openers Michael Parlane for six, Daniel Flynn for one and Hamish Marshall for 27.

However, it was Ben Wheeler who got the key wicket of fellow 19-year-old Kane Williamson for 26.

Brad Wilson, eight not out, and James Marshall on one, will shoulder the burden of reviving Northern's innings today with Joseph Yovich and Peter McGlashan the last of their recognised batsmen available to steer them to first innings points.

Northern lead the standings with 44 points but second-placed Canterbury, on 36 are in striking range. They could edge Northern for the Shield if they beat hosts Auckland outright and Northern get no points off Central and remain behind on net runs per wicket.

Earlier, Central, asked to bat after losing the toss, struggled to impose themselves on the Northern attack. Once opener Peter Ingram departed for 85, they lost four wickets for 49 runs.

A 50-run partnership between James de Terte and Doug Bracewell stopped the rot but once the pair departed in the space of nine runs for 24 and 30 respectively, their innings was quickly wrapped up by Northern.

Graeme Aldridge and Jono Boult grabbed three wickets each with Trent Boult and Hamish Marshall claiming two each.

- additional reporting NZPA