Cricket: Muddling Auckland in semifinals

By RICHARD BOOCK

Andre Adams is expected to return to bolster the Auckland side for Monday's limited-over semifinal against Central Districts.

All three last-round games were washed out yesterday, allowing Auckland to scramble through to the playoffs in third place, just one point ahead of unlucky Wellington, and three behind Central.

When the Auckland game was abandoned, Wellington could have qualified by winning and claiming a bonus point, but the rain denied them.

Canterbury, who were scheduled to play Auckland at Eden Park's outer oval, finished the round-robin at the top of the table and will subsequently host the State Shield final at Jade Stadium next Friday.

Adams has missed the past couple of matches for Auckland with a side strain, but will almost certainly play on Monday if he gets through a light bowling session at the Eden Park nets this morning.

The popular theory is that coach Mark O'Donnell will opt to play Adams as an extra bowler-cum lower-order batsman, probably at the expense of left-handed opener Tim McIntosh.

Even with Lou Vincent injured, Auckland are well stocked with opening-batting options and could easily shift Matt Horne up the order to partner Llorne Howell, creating room for Adams down the order.

Beaten finalists last year, Auckland have muddled their way through this summer's competition and can consider themselves fortunate to qualify for the semifinal, which will be played at New Plymouth's Pukekura Park.

O'Donnell said the inconsistency of his side had at times been alarming. He had been mortified when they collapsed against Central earlier in the week, and lost a game they should have won.

He suggested the team would need to show an improvement in all three areas if they were to win Monday's re-match, but said the players were not fazed by the task and were anxious to hit their straps.

"I feel we've been a bit lucky to get through, to be honest," he said yesterday.

"But say what you like, the facts are that we've made it through and now it's time to take advantage of that.

"We've been given a lifeline and I think the players are pretty keen to grab it and turn in a strong all-round performance against Central."

O'Donnell said Auckland had demonstrated their potential at times throughout the season and could look back on a string of good individual performances.

He believed his batting line-up was ready to fire and would be especially dangerous if the pitch was flat, and said the bowling attack was capable of making life difficult for the opposition.

In particular, he thought fringe New Zealand paceman Paul Hitchcock could prove a key factor in the match, and reinforce his value in the lead-up to the one-day series against South Africa.

"Paul's a thinking bowler and has a good mind for the game, and that's perhaps why he's developed into such a good option at the close of an innings," he said.

"He has a good track record and has a great change of pace, an asset that makes him a tricky proposition in the closing overs.

"When he played in the West Indies he did quite well; he was missed at the World Cup, and I think he's still got a lot to offer."

Only one of yesterday's three scheduled matches managed to get under way, Wellington easing through to 41 for two after 8.3 overs against Otago at the Basin Reserve, before being knocked out of contention when the rain returned.

Northern Districts' day-nighter against Central at Hamilton was abandoned without a ball being bowled, as was the Auckland-Canterbury contest.

Meanwhile, the North and South Island teams to play in the State of Origin match at Jade Stadium tomorrow week will be announced this morning.