Cricket: Auckland made to look second rate

By TERRY MADDAFORD

An Auckland cricket team who for long periods were jammed in first gear and showed little inclination to get out of it, were handed a lesson in first-class cricket by an unsung Otago side on the second day of their Shell Trophy match on Eden Park's outer oval yesterday.

Otago deservedly won all three sessions - picking up their first points of the season - and finished the day still 103 runs to the good and with two Auckland wickets already down in their second innings.

In reply to Auckland's 157, Otago were dismissed for 274, and at stumps Auckland were 14 for two.

Resuming at 77 for three, Otago lost only Brendon McCullum en route to the required 158 for first-innings points.

Martyn Croy joined Chris Gaffaney in adding 84 for the fifth wicket in a trifle over two hours.

With Croy gone, well taken at the wicket by Lou Vincent (the only Auckland player to come away from the day with a pass mark after taking four smart catches) interest swung to Gaffaney's bid for a fifth first-class century.

Cruelly, he fell one short when taken by Richard King at second slip off Chris Drum, to become the 51st dismissal on 99 (and 46th player) in New Zealand first-class play

A series of mini-partnerships saw the southerners to 200 and well beyond.

Paul Wiseman anchored that rearguard with 75, two short of a career best. He enjoyed solid support from Karl O'Dowda, who was dropped on one by King off Tama Canning, in adding 32 for the eighth wicket.

Batting appeared to be a mystery for David Sewell, who enjoyed just two minutes in the middle and faced five deliveries before his castle was destroyed by Canning.

But even then, Auckland could not finish it off.

James McMillan, in only his second match and with scores of 0 not out and 1 in his debut against Central Districts, joined Wiseman, and for more than an hour they defied Auckland, with McMillan unbeaten on 12 off 60 deliveries.

Wiseman reached 50 on an Auckland overthrow and went to 75 before failing to beat Dion Nash's throw and was run out.

He and McMillan added 56 runs, four short of the 54-year-old, 10th-wicket record against Auckland.

The visitors further rubbed salt into Auckland wounds by removing both openers, at 0 and 4, in the 52 minutes before stumps.