Cricket: Grafton bounce back with easy win

By GRAHAM REDDAWAY

Former Canterbury and Auckland wicketkeeper Richard Irving has his hands full keeping Grafton on track in quest of this season's Auckland club cricket one-day title.

Grafton struck back from an unexpected hiding by Parnell last weekend to take only 123 balls to score 133 for two and hand Takapuna a drubbing on Saturday.

Irving, the selector and player-coach of the premier side, cannot now wait to line his team up against the competition's high-flyers, Cornwall, next month.

Despite losing Craig Pryor to Otago and Richard King to Howick Pakuranga they are determined to win the title.

Irving acquired two Waitakere City players at the start of the competition, allrounders Tane Topia, and Nick Jury, and both have fitted into his plans with promising performances.

Grafton have also retained New Zealand A and Auckland batsman Lou Vincent and allrounder Andre Adams.

Cornwall made no race of their third-round match against East Coast Bays, winning by five wickets with almost arrogant ease at Cornwall Park.

Their pace attack of Richard Morgan, Dean Agnew, Heath Davis and Arran Barnes were simply too good for the Bays' top order.

Last season's one-day champions, Howick Pakuranga, looked on target for a very big score against Suburbs New Lynn after an opening partnership of 127 by Scott Marra and John Aiken inside 26 overs.

But their last nine wickets could produced only another 116 runs after last season's leading first-class bowler, Tama Canning, struck.

Canning took four wickets and then scored 85 in the Suburbs New Lynn chase, but they fell 20 runs short of Howick Pakuranga.

Parnell stayed in contention with an easy nine-wicket win over North Shore.

In the first grade, Papatoetoe remained the only unbeaten side, with a win over Waitakere City.



Emily Drumm was in brilliant form with an unbeaten 82 for her University Akarana side who beat Parnell in the women's one-day competition.

And former Northern Districts player Kim Robertson scored a century for North Shore when they beat Cornwall.