KEY POINTS:
Brent Arnel twice missed out on a hat-trick, but the Northern Districts bowler still ripped the heart out of the Auckland batting at Eden Park yesterday.
Arnel had career-best figures of four for 31 from 12 overs as Auckland were all out for 136 in their first innings, a deficit of 170.
Northern were 60 for one in their second innings at stumps, a lead of 230 with two days to play.
It had all looked quite promising for Auckland when Northern lost their last three wickets for 28 runs in a first-innings total of 306.
Openers Tim McIntosh and Richard Jones put on 60 before Mark Orchard trapped McIntosh in front for 20.
Mal Loye received a nasty delivery from Graham Aldridge and was caught at the wicket for a duck.
Jones carried steadily on to 50 with six fours and it was a surprise when he fell at that score.
He had been thwarted by some brilliant fielding by James Marshall in the covers as he punished a short ball from Joe Yovich. He mistimed the next and was caught at mid-off.
Auckland were 88 for three and looking for consolidation. But Lou Vincent batted as if he was late for a train at Kingsland station.
He hit four fours, but was also dropped at slip. Dropped again from a powerful blow to short mid-off, he flashed at the next ball from Yovich and was caught behind for 18 off 30 balls.
A similar indiscretion brought his dismissal in Auckland's last match on this ground against Canterbury.
Arnel was the fourth medium-pacer in the Northern attack on a pitch that suited seam bowlers and he proved the most effective.
With the fifth ball of his sixth over he bowled Tama Canning for a duck and caught Reece Young in front with the next.
Andre Adams, fresh from his powerful hitting against Canterbury on Sunday, was clearly in the same mood and hit four fours off 13 balls before he played on to Arnel for 20.
Arnel took his fourth wicket with the next ball, clean-bowling Tim Lythe. When the Auckland innings staggered to a close at 136, Rob Nicol, who had come in at 88 for three was not out 12, having watched seven team-mates depart for 48 runs.
Northern used only four bowlers and they were rewarded for bowling a good line and keeping the pressure on the Auckland batsmen.
* Embarrassment, not exertion, was to blame for the red faces of most of Wellington's cricketers yesterday.
Their capitulation for just 71 in the first innings against Otago in Dunedin will take some living down.
Any suspicions that the pitch was to blame for their troubles were soon put to bed by Wellington's vastly improved output after they were asked to follow on. They began the long process to make amends by reaching 201 for one in their second innings by stumps.
Matthew Bell was 103 not out and captain Michael Parlane 85 not out in an unbroken second wicket stand of 189. It was the 17th century of Bell's career and his 15th for Wellington, equalling the all-time record for the province held by Bruce Edgar.
* Former internationals Michael Papps and Craig McMillan made Central Districts toil long and hard for little reward in Christchurch.
Papps posted 121 and McMillan 117 as they shared a third-wicket partnership of 208 to guide Canterbury to 305 for four at stumps at QEII Park.
That left the home side with a first innings lead of 41 runs with six wickets remaining and only half the game complete.
McMillan's second century of the season came after Canterbury were 86 for two chasing Central Districts' first innings of 264.
He and opener Papps settled in for the long haul on a good batting surface, rarely playing a false stroke between them as their collective experience was put to optimum use.
McMillan was dropped at second slip when on 38 and went on to punish the visitors for the lapse, applying himself diligently, as did Papps.
McMillan, 30, was the first to three figures, his 16th first-class century, followed half an hour later by Papps, 27, who raised his ninth century at this level with a boundary.
McMillan finally departed after 242 minutes when edging behind off Greg Hegglun after hitting 15 fours and one six.
Papps went soon after, also undone by Hegglun, who was his team's best bowler with three for 68 off 23 overs.
Central Districts had hoped for much better after taking the field with Canterbury resuming on 12 without loss.
Seamer Michael Mason gave them early cause for cheer by enticing an edge from opener Todd Astle when he'd made 17.
Peter Fulton struck five fours in making 32 before he, too, went, courtesy of Greg Hay's catch off Hegglun.
That was their last success for six hours before the McMillan/Papps stand was ended.
