Cricket: ND clinical against Auckland

BJ Watling played an inventive innings. Photo / Getty Images

BJ Watling's anchorman impression and Tim Southee's calmness under fire enabled Northern Districts to open the domestic Twenty20 cricket competition with a clinical five-run defeat of Auckland at Blake Park in Mt Maunganui yesterday.

Opener Watling's 73 from 59 balls set the platform for Northern's 164 for seven and then a tight bowling performance - encapsulated by Southee's superb over at the death - limited a big-hitting Auckland line-up to 159, also for seven.

ND are wearing pink this season for breast cancer charity but they offered Auckland little of the same.

A valiant 32-ball half century from captain Gareth Hopkins kept Auckland's hopes alive but when he slogged out a delivery after reaching his milestone, Daryl Tuffey and Richard Jones were tasked with sourcing 11 from the final over.

Southee (0-32) had been expensive in his first three overs but zeroed in on a perfect length to confine Auckland to five singles.

Left-arm spinner Bruce Martin had earlier applied the clamps to an Auckland scoring rate that soon spiralled from an original 8.25 runs per over to double figures. Martin struck twice in his final over, removing Reece Young (18) and Colin de Grandhomme for a first ball duck, reward for four overs that conceded only 22 runs.

Naturally, Northern's principal left-arm spinner had an influential bearing. Daniel Vettori was miserly with the ball - taking one for 27 from his four - but the New Zealand captain's biggest influence was with the bat.

Turning out for his province for the first time since last month's Pakistan tour, Vettori opened the batting and smacked 43 from 22 balls to set ND on track for a sizeable total.

Auckland were left to rue a dropped catch when Vettori was on five as he added 61 in 6.3 overs with a more sedate Watling. Vettori proved a point of difference in the sixth over when he caned 22 from de Grandhomme, an assault that ended the medium pacer's involvement after two overs. He improvised to crack four boundaries and a six off successive balls as Northern's run-rate clicked into over drive.

Vettori's top-edged slog-sweep to Martin Guptill from the bowling of spinner Roneel Hira (2-23) saw Northern lose some traction as Daniel Flynn's demise for 18 saw four wickets fall for 26 in 24 balls.

Watling had to withstand a procession of partners, posting his half century from 42 balls.

Although Hira and Scott Styris stemmed the run flow - indicating the importance of slow- and medium-pace options on the wicket - Watling continued to move about the crease to disruptive effect.

He displayed a wide range of inventive strokes, including a sweet paddle shot for four from Tuffey, before he was dismissed from the penultimate ball of the innings having struck six fours and a six.

Auckland needed to match Northern's impressive opening stand of 61 in 6.3 overs but lost Lou Vincent (8) early as Brent Arnel (2-23) proved the most effective pace bowler.

Guptill clipped 37 from 22 but suffered in the process. He required a runner and a mix-up between Vincent and Ravi Bopara saw the strokemaker cut off in his prime.

Bopara was bowled by Vettori two balls later leaving Hopkins to wage a lone hand, ultimately forlornly.

Northern host reigning champions Otago at the same venue today. The Central Stags take on the Wellington Firebirds at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth while tomorrow the Auckland Aces host the Canterbury Wizards at Colin Maiden Park, Auckland.