Cricket: Rain dashes Wellington hopes

By TERRY MADDAFORD and NZPA

Wellington's hopes of getting up to beat Auckland by a huge margin and sneak an unlikely championship victory were almost certainly washed away yesterday.

After dismissing the visitors for 409 in the first session yesterday, Auckland's first innings was stalled because bad light halted play in the 12 minutes available before lunch.

Rain during the break never cleared and play was called off just before 4pm.

For Wellington to get up and perhaps claim the State Championship, they would need to dismiss Auckland for under 260, force the follow-on and seek to skittle the home side cheaply in their second innings.

But the Colin Maiden Park pitch has given no indication of becoming a minefield.

It played well as Wellington added 80 to their overnight 329 for five yesterday.

Luke Woodcock, unbeaten on 19 at the close on Sunday, reached 48 before falling to Tama Canning - the ninth Wellington wicket to fall.

Gareth Shaw, who had bowled well without luck in the third session on Sunday, was justly rewarded with a couple of wickets. He picked them up for 35 from the 14 overs he bowled yesterday.

It was, in the end, a good all-round effort from the Auckland bowlers with Andre Adams, Shaw, Canning, Brooke Walker and Rob Nicol each claiming two wickets.

While they could not quite maintain the early run-rate, the Wellington lower order ensured a rate of almost three runs an over.

Only the lack of a really big score - six batsmen went beyond 30 but none over 80 - prevented a threatening total.

But even that might not have been enough to halt Auckland's title hopes.

* Half-centuries from opener Chris Gaffaney and Simon Beare shunted Otago to a first-innings lead against Central Districts in Napier.

Otago ground their way to 268 from 116 overs in reply to Central's 178 from 65 overs.

At stumps, Central were 27 without loss, still 63 behind, in their second innings.

Gaffaney began the day on 33 and doubled his score in a 75-run fourth-wicket stand with overnight partner Craig Pryor (38) before becoming one of Brent Hefford's three victims.

His 200-minute innings included six boundaries.

After replacing Gaffaney in the middle, Beare scored 60 from 130 balls and in 140 minutes, and had partnerships of 36 for the fifth wicket with Pryor and 44 for the sixth with Nathan Morland to carry Otago to the first-innings lead.

A last-wicket stand of 36 between wicketkeeper Duncan Drew and Neil Rushton pushed Otago to a 90-run advantage.

Pacemen Michael Mason (four for 67 from 30 overs) and Hefford (three for 25 from 16) were the best of the Central bowlers.

* In Christchurch, Northern were well placed in their pursuit of Canterbury's 338.

At stumps they were 161 for one, with James Marshall 88 not out.