Cricket: 157-run stand saves Auckland

By TERRY MADDAFORD and NZPA

Auckland's middle-order batsmen, and later their bowlers, were again called on for the salvage operation as they beat Otago in the penultimate round of the domestic competition at Eden Park yesterday.

In overcoming yet another hesitant start to get up and win by 62 runs - with a bonus point - Auckland kept their top-three hopes alive.

Much will now depend on the result of their final match against leaders Canterbury on the same ground on Friday.

With yesterday's match between Canterbury and second-placed Central Districts washed out at Hagley Oval, Canterbury go into the last round three points clear of Central, with Auckland another three points back.

In beating Northern Districts at the Basin Reserve, Wellington also kept their playoff hopes alive.

At Eden Park, Auckland were struggling early on at 27 for three.

Then Aaron Barnes stepped up to join Rob Nicol in what proved the match-winning partnership.

Barnes, 86 from 95 deliveries, and Nicol 78 from 107, combined to add 157 in just 116 minutes and steer Auckland to 184 for four.

A quickfire 40 from Kyle Mills - with three sixes, including one through the window of the Cricket Society pavilion - took the total beyond 250.

Always a big ask, the southerners could not have had a worse start when Mills, after five dot balls, deceived New Zealand opener and Otago captain Craig Cumming with the last ball of his first over.

Playing as though he felt he could get the runs on his own, Chris Gaffaney smacked eight boundaries in his 35, but was undone by Mills just one run after Muhammad Wasim had fallen leg-before to Tama Canning.

Three well-struck fours - all through the packed offside by Gaffaney off Camming - encouraged Otago to continue the charge when a more diplomatic approach was needed.

With Wasim and Gaffaney out of the way, Auckland turned the screws. Canning followed his horror first over with two maidens. All Otago momentum was gone.

Otago reached 100 without further loss, but the second 50 took 92 balls.

Brooke Walker picked up successive wickets, including bowling Jordan Shed with a flipper, and finished with three for 29 from 10 overs, nicely complimenting Mills with his three for 23 from eight.

There was no tiger in the Otago tail as Auckland restricted them to 189 - comfortably under the 200 they needed to be assured of the bonus point which may or may not play a part in establishing the finishing order come Friday night.

* A majestic century by Stephen Fleming helped Wellington to destroy Northern by eight wickets with 14.1 overs to spare.

The New Zealand captain scored a run-a-ball 120 not out.

He progressed with a range of handsome shots, and the quality of his successive hundreds for Wellington reinforces the feeling that the left-hander is in the best form of his career.

Wellington made no race of chasing Northern's 209.

He has piggypacked Wellington into playoff contention to the point where if they make the last three they could capture the State Shield.

The problem for Wellington remains that outside help is needed.

They will start warm favourites against Otago at the Basin Reserve on Friday, but they also require Canterbury to beat Auckland the same day.

Fleming was modest in his assessment of his latest milestone, which came on the 30th birthday of his partner Kelly Payne.

"How well they look is irrelevant really because the key thing is to get the job done for the team," Fleming said.

"I do feel good at the moment. My head space is good and my technique is holding up well so I'm not feeling under any great pressure out there because I'm able to hit the boundary and access areas I want at will."

Fleming hit 15 fours and two sixes in his 149-minute knock and he shared in a rollicking 91-run partnership for the first wicket with Chris Nevin (49).

Wellington coach Vaughn Johnson shrugged off concerns that Fleming was a one-man band.

He said the energy and confidence Fleming displayed was rubbing off on players like Nevin, who was back to his sparkling best.

"Flem's in great nick and it's great to have him back but one man doesn't win a game," Johnson said.

"I thought we were pretty clinical all round today, apart from the amount of extras we conceded [35]."

Points: Canterbury 28, Central 25, Auckland 22, Wellington 19, Otago 16, Northern 4.

The top team qualifies automatically for the final. Their opponents will be decided by a playoff between the second and third sides.