Cricket: Marshall fails yet again as ND hang on

Northern Districts player Daniel Vettori (right) receives a low pass as his team relax between showers with a game of touch. Picture / Dean Purcell

You get the feeling that, if Hamish Marshall turned up at his family's Christmas Day backyard test, he'd be nicked out early by his grandmother's outswinger.

The horribly out-of-form New Zealand batsman yesterday added another setback to his summer when he fell for two in the first innings of Northern Districts' State Championship match against Auckland.

Last season's New Zealand batsman of the year misjudged a shortish delivery from Auckland pace bowler Andre Adams and was caught in the gully, and spent the next half hour in consultation with technical adviser Ashley Ross.

The dismissal continued a cruel run drought for the dapper little right-hander, who has averaged just 9.55 over his past 10 ODI innings, following consecutive scores of 9, 7, 8, 3, 16, 7, 3, 5, 10 and 27.

Marshall, whose last decent score came against Australia last summer, even fell cheaply in a Robbie Hart testimonial match on Friday night, thwarted by a direct-hit run out from New Zealand teammate Lou Vincent.

If runs were food he would have starved to death long ago.

Hampered by more volatile weather yesterday, Northern resumed their battle at Eden Park's Outer Oval at 2pm and were hanging on at 234 for nine at stumps, following vital contributions from Joey Yovich (55) and Peter McGlashan (30).

All the Auckland pacemen enjoyed some initial success, Kerry Walmsley removing James Marshall, Adams and Kyle Mills continuing the momentum with timely strikes, and Chris Martin ending with a three-wicket bag.

The outcome could have been much worse for Northern had it not been for Yovich and McGlashan, who came together when the total was 103 for seven and defied the Auckland advance, adding 88 for the eighth wicket.

Yovich continued on from his rich batting form in the previous round, striking nine fours in a 104-ball effort, while McGlashan lent a patient and intelligent hand, scoring 30 off 99 balls.

And even when Auckland had prised out that pair, they then came up against more defiance in the shape of Bruce Martin and Graeme Aldridge, who battled tenaciously while posting an unbeaten 43 for the last wicket.

Further south, competition leaders and hosts Wellington are facing a grim struggle to keep Central Districts at bay after a rare day of run-scoring at the Basin Reserve.

Having taken the better of the first innings battle, Central built handsomely on their advantage throughout the day, eventually reaching stumps at 263 for seven, a lead of 295 with two days to play.

Central's innings was underpinned by a solid performance throughout the top-order, Jacob Oram following his first innings 41 with 71 off 86 balls, young hopeful Ross Taylor posting 51 and opener Jamie How 44.

Second-placed Otago also seem poised to plummet down the ladder after collapsing for the second time in consecutive days against Canterbury, leaving only the formalities to be completed over the next couple of days.

Trailing by 45 on the first innings, Otago were last night teetering at 133 for nine and will require either a natural disaster or a superhuman effort with the ball to avoid defeat.

In terms of the overall standings, the round is shaping up as a significant one for Auckland, who could jump to a clear lead if Otago and Wellington lose outright - and if they get the better of Northern.