If Ross Taylor was hoping to use the Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts to stack up a few easy runs and boost his confidence ahead of next week's first test against the West Indies, he had another thing coming.
The former national skipper endured a horror day for CentralDistricts, being dismissed twice at Seddon Park, including a second innings duck as hapless CD crashed towards defeat. Following on, CD ended day two on 168 for 8, still 30 runs behind ND's modest first innings of 287.
In both innings it was national teammates who did for Taylor. During CD's paltry first innings 89, Taylor was caught and bowled by Tim Southee for 10. In his second dig, he survived five balls before being caught at the wicket by BJ Watling off left-armer Trent Boult.
Kruger van Wyk was the only CD player to display a modicum of resistance, being last man out for 28 in the first dig and finding himself 54 not out in the second.
Highlighting CD's ineptitude further, it was not the class trio of Boult, Southee and Daniel Vettori causing the most problems in the afternoon, but Daryl Mitchell (3-5) and Scott Kuggeleijn (2-43). Earlier it was a different story as Boult (5-30), Southee (4-39) and Vettori (1-5) were too much for CD's feeble line-up.
ND's impending crushing victory will prevent first test certainties BJ Watling and Corey Anderson getting another bat.
At Lincoln, a big portion of New Zealand's likely top order will be hoping they get another chance to spend some time in the middle after failing to cash in on the New Zealand XI's first innings against a hybrid West Indies-Invitational XI.
The out-of-form Brendon McCullum got a start before being bowled by left-arm quick Sheldon Cottrell.
A start was more than opener Peter Fulton managed. He had a single to his name when he was bowled by the same player.
Only Hamish Rutherford, who is himself in desperate need of a score at international level, warmed up with a breezy 61 off 49 balls before falling to Wellington's Ili Tugaga.
Fringe test candidates Dean Brownlie (6) and Tom Latham (27) failed to impress.
On a weather-hit day, the NZ XI declared at 227-8. Today shapes as a big one for West Indies stand-in Aaron Redmond, who could force his way into the selectors' thinking with a big score, particularly with the first test, starting Tuesday, to be played on his home ground in Dunedin.
