Cricket: Aucklanders help Otago to comfortable first-day

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Otago happily used their Auckland connection to take the upper hand on the first day of their Shell Trophy match on Eden Park's outer oval yesterday.

From captain Matt Horne, who won the vital toss, to bowlers Craig Pryor and Paul Wiseman, who shared six wickets, the southerners made the most of their northern helpers to restrict Auckland to 157.

At stumps, Otago were 77 for three.

Otago's opening bowlers did their best to test the patience of the umpires and the Auckland batsmen with a succession of wildly-directed deliveries, but they finally got a couple on line, David Sewell claiming Tim McIntosh leg-before and Karl O'Dowda winning a similar appeal against Blair Pocock.

For too long the Otago attack, with first use of a well-grassed strip, wasted the new ball and their energies with too many poor deliveries.

In their first 15 overs, though, Otago claimed Auckland's openers and restricted them to just 21 runs. But it was not pretty.

A 63-run partnership for the third wicket, between John Aiken (26) and Richard King (34), in a little under two hours, restored some respectability to the innings.

But when they fell, so did Auckland's resistance. Only a stubborn 32 in 118 minutes from Dion Nash prevented total collapse.

Pryor, in his return to first-class play, bounced back from ordinary first spells to rip Auckland apart, his last 11 overs earning him four for 11. He finished with a career-best four for 44.

Pryor's support came from Wiseman, who got through his 14 overs at a cost of just 17 runs.

He claimed danger-man King - neatly stumped for an innings-high 34 - and Tama Canning, trapped in front for one.

In losing their last seven wickets for just 42 runs - Nash was the ninth to go - Auckland were in trouble, but went some way to getting themselves back in the game when they claimed Horne, a trifle unlucky to be run out in backing up, and Andrew Hore, well caught down the leg side by keeper Lou Vincent.

Otago's hopes of first innings points might lie with Chris Gaffaney, who looked assured in reaching 40 by stumps.