Cricket: Devastating opening carries Northern to emphatic win

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Northern Districts avenged their earlier loss to Shell Cup cricket pacesetters Auckland with an emphatic 55-run win on Eden Park's remarkable outer oval yesterday to put themselves firmly in the top three.

On a ground which hours earlier had been under water, Northern Districts helped themselves to 295 for six, with promoted opener Daniel Vettori leading the charge.

Resuming at his overnight 58, Vettori hammered another three boundaries before falling to a sharp caught and bowled by Kyle Mills for 70.

The century-plus opening stand between Vettori and Michael Parlane was the match-winning foundation.

Parlane went on to score 60, along the way topping the Northern Districts record of 2000 Cup runs set by former opener Bryan Young. Parlane has now amassed 2020 runs and today, back in his home town of Whangarei, has the chance to further increase that when the northerners tackle struggling Wellington.

Neal Parlane, Scott Styris - is there anything he can't do? - and Mark Bailey all contributed to the Northern cause.

Facing Darryl Tuffey and Simon Doull in their quest for almost 300 runs to hold their place at the top of the points table, Auckland openers Aaron Barnes and Andre Adams followed Northern's lead in scoring freely to all points.

By the time Adams departed - the first of three wickets for Styris - the home side had reached 44 in half an hour. Lou Vincent, Adam Parore and Tama Canning all continued in the same vein, but without any going on to get the really big score the side needed.

After scoring 150 off 196 balls for the loss of only three wickets, Auckland were in the hunt, but it did not last and heading into the last 10 overs they still needed 100 runs with only three wickets in hand.

The task proved beyond them and Northern cruised to their fourth win in seven games to move to within two points of Auckland, who trail new leaders Canterbury by a point and who are away today in Napier for the day-nighter with Central Districts at McLean Park.

In the other game today, Otago play Canterbury in Invercargill.