Cricket: Northern pair double trouble for Auckland

By TERRY MADDAFORD

The Joseph Yovich/Robbie Hart double act was too good for Auckland as Northern Districts took control on the weather-interrupted opening day of their championship match in Hamilton yesterday.

Opting to bat first after the start at WestpacTrust Park had been delayed 3 1/2 hours, Auckland were soon in trouble and struggled to recover, ending the day at 110 for seven.

The State Championship leaders promoted wicketkeeper Reece Young to open the innings with Tim McIntosh.

That experiment lasted only 20 minutes before Yovich deceived Young with a pearler.

Without the solidarity Matt Horne - on test duty in Wellington - has provided this season, the Auckland top order looked hesitant, although McIntosh battled for more than an hour and a half for 15 before falling to a smart Hart catch.

Aaron Barnes fell on the next ball, leaving Scott Styris with the chance of a hat-trick. Llorne Howell averted that danger and helped steady the rocking ship.

He and Nick Horsley, who scored 95 against Bangladesh but went into the game with a championship best of 25, added 52 at a run-a-minute for the fourth wicket before Horsley - after a patient 60 - fell to another catch by wicketkeeper Hart.

Horsley, who batted 127 minutes and hit eight boundaries and a hooked six off Yovich to the longest boundary, was the only bright light as the bigger names failed to shine.

Howell, best known for his flamboyant batting higher in the order, pitched in at No 5, and needed 89 minutes to find 12 runs - including a couple of boundaries - in the face of some well-directed Northern pace bowling.

While Yovich stole the honours with four for 38 from 16 overs, young Ian Butler was the unluckiest of the four-pronged Northern attack.

He was unrewarded despite 12 overs of real pace which had the Auckland batsmen ever-watchful.

Test reject Daryl Tuffey came back well to claim Kyle Mills, out to a good catch by Grant Bradburn at first slip, one of six behind the wicket, as the Auckland innings again stuttered.

Through all the good work by the pacemen, Hart led from the front and edged closer to a piece of ND history.

His four catches, on a day further cut short by a 53-minute rain break and ended early by bad light and more rain, took his tally of dismissals to 14 from three and a bit games this season and 187 overall - just three shy of Bryan Young's Northern record.

Only former internationals Warren Lees, Ervin McSweeney and Lee Germon are ahead of the Northern pair.

The bad weather restricted the day to 47 of the scheduled 100 overs. That was enough time for the home side to take control and leave the visitors with plenty to contemplate before play resumes this morning, weather permitting.

* Wellington took the honours on the opening day of their match against Otago at Carisbrook, having the home side 209 for seven on a day reduced to 69.3 overs.

Craig Cumming and Chris Gaffaney provided the only batting of any substance for Otago. Cumming hit 43 and Gaffaney finished the day unbeaten on 55.

Play was abandoned because of rain at 5.15pm after the players had left the field because of bad light an hour earlier.

Otago had done well to emerge from the morning session on a pacy, bouncy pitch at 103 for two, but then lost five for 90 in the middle session.

Three bowlers shared the wickets. Andrew Penn was the the most successful, taking three for 52, and James Franklin and Matthew Walker picked up two each.

* Canterbury enjoyed the batting conditions at Pukekura Park to take a firm grip on their game against Central Districts in New Plymouth yesterday.

With a succession of useful contributions through the order, Canterbury reached 301 for five off 79.3 overs at stumps, with the in-form Chris Harris among the runs again, this time 46 not out, and Gareth Hopkins on 17.

The chief contributors for Canterbury had been Michael Papps, who hit 92, while opener Jarrod Englefield made 57 and captain Gary Stead chimed in with 49.

Brent Hefford and Andrew Schwass shared the wickets between them, Hefford taking three for 73, Schwass two for 71.