By RICHARD BOOCK
Andre Adams kept the national selectors on tenterhooks yesterday after nursing himself through the first day of Auckland's warm-up match against Northern Districts.
Viewed as one of New Zealand's more useful World Cup components, the Auckland all-rounder left further question marks hovering over his fitness when he bowled
just five overs at Eden Park's Outer Oval.
Given that Auckland had won the toss and elected to bowl first, it seemed Adams was set to play a central role in the seam attack, especially after being introduced on a sporting surface as the home side's first-change bowler.
But Auckland captain Brooke Walker had to look elsewhere for pace options, and ended up sharing the extra burden between all-rounders Tama Canning and Craig Pryor.
For all that, the quintet of quicks still managed to cause their share of problems for the visitors, bowling out Northern for 201 after periods of resistance from Matt Hart (57) and Joey Yovich (37).
Auckland fared little better in reply, slumping to 95 for five at stumps, including the loss of test batsmen Matt Horne, Lou Vincent and Mark Richardson.
Auckland coach Mark O'Donnell said Adams' removal from the attack had been a precautionary exercise and that there had been no aggravation of the stress fracture injury that ended his previous season early.
"Andre's back's a little tight and he didn't want to take any chances with that type of injury," O'Donnell said last night.
"He played club cricket in the weekend as well, so he's just trying to be careful and not take too many risks."
The new Auckland coach said he understood that Adams' stress-fracture was one of the worst types possible, which meant that it was important to nurse him through the early season and avoid any aggravations.
The only other problem for the Aces was the disappointing form of their three test openers, who all fell in identical fashion during the last session - caught by wicket-keeper Robbie Hart, who ended the day with four dismissals.
Horne and Vincent were both defeated on the front foot by Simon Andrews and Richardson looked untroubled in moving to 27 before edging an attempted hook off Graeme Aldridge.
O'Donnell said the players' shot selection wasn't as good as it might have been, "but I think that everyone's just happy to be out playing on grass and getting a good feel of things".
