Wellington put Central Districts to the sword as they convincedly won their State Championship cricket match here at McLean Park yesterday.
There was an air of inevitability about the innings and 33-run hiding Vaughn Johnson's players inflicted on the hosts on the third day with 1.5 overs remaining before stumps.
James Franklin caught Central Districts spinner Lance Hamilton leg before wicket for two as Central were bowled out for 262 after making 107 in their first innings.
However, it was right-arm medium-pacer Iain O'Brien who was the chief destroyer, claiming four wickets today on a flat pitch.
Johnson praised O'Brien, saying he was starting to turn a few heads.
"He's got good variation and I think he hits a good international length."
However, the coach credited his side's victory to a good wicket the luck of the toss.
"Obviously, whichever side won the toss was going to bat and probably was going to go with the philosophy of batting once, which we were able to do.
"I thought we also bowled smartly. We varied our pace and bowled in the areas consistently long enough to create pressure if they weren't scoring. I think we also bowled in pairs ? which is something we haven't done well enough in earlier games."
The Central Districts batsmen were often guilty of showing a lack of patience on the crease, although just before tea Geoff Barnett and Jarrod Englefield looked like settling in for the long haul.
Without taking anything away from the Wellington bowlers disciplined line and length, the Central Districts shot selection was poor.
Apart from wicketkeeper Bevan Griggs, who O'Brien clean-bowled in the fourth ball after tea, one run-out, and both Hamilton's lbws, the remaining of the wickets yesterday fell to catches.
Englefield, after a fruitless first-innings run-out, topscored with 61 runs, including one six and six boundaries in 182 minutes.
Wellington
First innings 402
Central Districts
First innings (overnight 106-8) 107
Second innings
P Ingram c & b O'Brien........................................8
J How c N Parlane b Franklin.............................22
G Barnett c M Parlane b O'Brien........................56
G Sulzberger c O'Brien b Gillespie......................7
J Englefld c Ryder b Woodcock..........................61
R Taylor c Mills b Gillespie....................................1
B Griggs b O'Brien.............................................18
E Thompson c Patel b O'Brien.............................2
B Diamanti run out (Mills)...................................33
A Schwass not out ............................................ 35
L Hamilton lbw Franklin........................................2
Extras (1b, 7lb, 9nb) ..........................................17
Total (88.1 overs)..............................................262
Fall: 30, 32, 53, 139, 140, 161, 168, 199, 232, 262.
Bowling: M Gillespie 16-3-65-2 (1nb), J Franklin 11.1-3-23-2 (2nb), I O'Brien 23-9-47-4 (3nb), J Patel 24-6-76-0 (3nb), J Ryder
6-1-15-0, L Woodcock 8-1-28-1.
Result: Wellington won by an innings and 33 runs.
In Auckland, after his recall to the Black Caps for Saturday's one-day cricket international against Australia, it was fitting that Andre Adams was at his boisterous best as Auckland reinforced their advantage over Otago.
But apart from the half-century cameo from Adams there was little else to brighten an otherwise dull day in the State Championship match at the Eden Park outer oval.
Auckland carried their first innings total through to a massive 528-8 declared, an overall lead of 180.
By stumps, the Otago opening pair of Chris Gaffaney and Craig Cumming had made 33 giving Auckland a 147 run lead heading in to the fourth and final day tomorrow.
The hosts resumed their innings today on 318-4 and apart from Adams playing a typically swashbuckling hand for 53 from just 58 balls, Auckland's batting was generally pedestrian and the scoring rate battled to reach three an over.
Even the usually aggressive Aaron Barnes and Tama Canning, the two overnight batsmen, were subdued, in taking their fifth wicket stand through to 71.
Barnes batted for 155 minutes and faced 126 balls for his 43 and Canning needed 172 minutes and 150 balls for his 38.
The South African born 18-year Carl Cachopa helped Adams add 74 for the seventh wicket to confirm the promise he had shown when making 17 against Wellington in his only other first class match.
He showed sound technique and speed between the wickets. But he was very much second fiddle to Adams with his 40 coming in 158 minutes from 115 balls.
Otago
First innings 348
Auckland
First innings (overnight 318-4)
R Jones lbw Scott ..............................................17
M Horne b Scott ................................................35
R Hamel c Sheed b McSkimming....................100
L Vincent c McSkimming b Todd......................152
A Barnes c Hopkins b McSkimming...................43
T Canning b McCullum.......................................38
C Cachopa st Hopkins b McCullum ..................40
A Adams b Smith...............................................53
B Walker not out ............................................... 29
R Young not out ...................................................3
Extras (1b, 11lb, 4nb, 2w)...................................18
Total (for 8 wkts dec, 179 overs).......................528
Fall: 33, 63, 307, 317, 388, 405, 479, 519
Bowling: W McSkimming 39-14-85-2, B Scott 32-5-106-2 (1nb, 2w), C Smith 28-6-87-1 (2nb), G Todd 21-6-65-1 (1nb), N McCullum
41-8-124-2, C Cumming 15-6-29-0, A Redmond 3-0-20-0.
Otago
Second innings
C Gaffaney not out ...........................................19
C Cumming not out............................................12
Extras (1b, 1w)..................................................... 2
Total (16 overs) ..................................................33
Bowling: K Walmsley 3-0-16-0 (1w), A Adams 8-6-11-0, T Canning
5-2-5-0.
CD gets an old fashioned hiding
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