By TERRY MADDAFORD In Gisborne
Superbly led by a career-best 147 not out from Rob Nicol, Auckland cruised to a first-innings win over Northern Districts in Gisborne yesterday.
Once Auckland captain Brooke Walker and coach Mark O'Donnell resisted the temptation to declare at their overnight 167 for three and perhaps force Northern's
hand in trying for an outright victory, it became a battle for the two State Championship first-innings points.
Northern enjoyed early success in snaring Tim McIntosh, who added two to his overnight 48, and Kyle Mills and Tama Canning, who were trapped in front by Daryl Tuffey and Daniel Vettori respectively.
But then, with Craig Pryor providing the support, it was very much the Nicol show.
Displaying all the patience the situation demanded, Nicol destroyed any faint hopes the home side might have entertained.
After sharing a 110-run partnership for the fourth wicket with McIntosh, Nicol then added 120 (134 minutes) in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand with Pryor - just nine short of Auckland's best, against Northern in the 1963-64 season by John Behrent and Dick Tovey.
Nicol was in almost total control.
He hit six fours and three sixes in taking his tally from 14 first-class innings to 636, at an average of 57.80.
He and Pryor needed just 112 minutes to post their century stand.
In his first decent bowling stint for some time, Vettori was economical early, but he, too, fell to some big-hitting as his figures slumped to one for 90 from 36 overs.
Tuffey, perhaps the pick of the pacemen, got through 30 overs, hitting wicketkeeper Robbie Hart's gloves at some pace.
Auckland start their second match of the championship against Wellington on Eden Park's outer oval on Thursday, while Northern are in Rangiora to play Canterbury.
