Cricket: Second thrashing adds to Auckland's mounting misery

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Otago completed a miserable few days for the Auckland cricket team in a low-scoring Shell Cup match on Eden Park's outer oval yesterday.

Hard on the heels of humbling the home side by six wickets inside three days in their Shell Trophy clash, Otago needed fewer than 40 overs to beat Auckland by 75 runs.

A telling contributor to Otago's stinginess in the field was offspinner Nathan McCullum, who returned the outstanding figures of two for nine off 10 overs, six of which were maidens.

It was only the ninth time in Shell Cup history that a bowler had conceded under 10 runs off a full complement of 10 overs.

Auckland were dismissed for 101, never threatening Otago's modest 176, scored in exactly 50 overs in an innings notable for an unbeaten 63 by wicketkeeper Martyn Croy.

Croy entered the fray at 44 for four after the visitors had lost Matt Horne and Craig Cumming at that total.

If it was a crisis, Croy did not notice.

Instead, he fashioned what proved a match-winning innings by playing sensible cricket.

After reaching 17 with a variety of shots, including a couple of boundaries, over the next 91 minutes Croy advanced his score by 26 singles.

Otago were aided considerably by a 50-run partnership for the last wicket between Croy and Warren McSkimming, who helped himself to 19 from 33 deliveries in a 39-minute stand which in the end took the game away from the home side.

Auckland, forced to take second use of the pitch which had been used for the trophy game, got away reasonably well, but the rot set in when Aaron Barnes was taken by Croy from McSkimming.

Lou Vincent went first ball when he was trapped leg-before, and when Blair Pocock followed soon after - also leg-before to McSkimming - the innings headed on a giddy downhill spiral.

Tim McIntosh attempted to provide some stability, but when he fell to a caught-and-bowled decision, after the umpires had conferred, it was all over bar the shouting.

Richard King and Chris Drum provided some light relief, but even their efforts could not hide what had been a sorry Auckland performance.

Only McIntosh (75 minutes), Dion Nash (36 minutes) and King (62 minutes) lasted beyond half an hour in a woeful exhibition against an attack which would hardly rate itself as the best in the land.

Matt Horne's medium pace bemused the Auckland batsmen as he snared three wickets for 17 runs, six of which came from one mighty blow from Drum.

Otago wrapped it up with 11 overs to spare, ending the day as the new cup leaders and leaving the Aucklanders to contemplate and regather before their next outing on the same ground against Wellington on December 27.

They will have to produce something much better or face what could quickly become a summer to forget.