Cricket: Auckland to go for the jugular

Auckland coach Mark O'Donnell still has that winning feeling and is keen for it to continue when the State Championship leaders tackle Northern Districts on Eden Park's outer oval today.

"We are well aware a couple of points for a first-innings win would probably be enough to ensure a home final," O'Donnell said after his team had trained at the ground yesterday. "But I want to keep winning outright. If we play well - and that is the key - we will beat these guys over four days.

"The big plus is playing here on a good wicket. The wicket in Dunedin was a disgrace. We picked a stone out of the pitch on the third day. The only reason we hadn't done it earlier was that it was covered in grass.

"But, having said that, we didn't play well. Otago didn't play well, but in the end we dropped only four catches to their eight."

O'Donnell has made one change to his 12 for today's seventh-round clash, with Tama Canning in for Paul Hitchcock.

With a handy 10-point lead over Wellington, Auckland hold all the trumps. It will again be a real test for the young Northern side who, not too long ago, were seen off inside two days by Canterbury in Gisborne.

Needing maximum points in their remaining two games to have even a faint chase of keeping their season alive, Northern will have to call the shots.

Wellington meet Central Districts in Palmerston North, with the only change coming with the introduction of Azhar Abbas into the Wellington 12. Lance Hamilton returns to the CD side in place of Geoff Barnett.

Canterbury have rung the changes for their away game with Otago. Tim McIntosh, James Ward and Wade Cornelius have given way to Paul Wiseman, Brendon Donkers, and Michael Papps.

Otago's only change comes with out-of-form batsman Jordan Sheed giving way to Muhammad Wasim.

All matches start at 10.30am.