Cricket: Batsman Doull rescues Northern again

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Body1: Northern Districts captain Robbie Hart did not name Simon Doull in his starting lineup until seconds before he and Otago's Matthew Horne went through the toss formalities at the start of their Shell Trophy cricket clash in Hamilton yesterday.

Opting for Doull was the most positive move by the home side in a game which weather had reduced to just eight sessions before a ball was bowled.

Not that Doull has had any chance to show his fast-bowling wares. Rather, it was his batting Northern desperately needed as their innings crumbled, not for the first time this season.

After Northern managed just 155 in 61 overs, Otago were safely through the first over of their innings before bad light forced an early end to a day's play which produced a career-best bag for Otago and former Auckland allrounder Craig Pryor.

Doull batted at No 8, entering the fray with ND in disarray at 96 for six after the top order had been undone by useful pace bowling and well-taken catches behind the wicket.

The scene was set when Michael Parlane, fresh from a century in his last innings, was caught for 16 by Otago's Duncan Drew - the first of three catches for their new wicketkeeper-batsman.

Parlane and James Marshall posted 37 in 43 minutes for the first wicket, the most productive partnership of the innings.

And therein lies Northern's top-order woes.

Their failure to post the really big scores - some of their supporters might settle for some half-decent efforts - continues to put the pressure on their bowling attack already limited by the absence of Daniel Vettori and Daryl Tuffey.

Too many wickets were just handed frivolously away with inept shots into the safe hands of the Otago field.

Apart from Hamish Marshall, caught by Bradley Scott at mid-on, and Graeme Aldridge, trapped leg before, all Northern batsmen fell to edges.

Only James and Hamish Marshall of the first seven in the batting order got beyond 20 in a succession of weak dismissals.

Doull showed survival was possible.

He batted 94 minutes for his unbeaten 41, which included five boundaries, and shared an eighth-wicket partnership of 29 in 36 minutes with Hart.

Northern will need a Pryor-like performance from Doull or someone else today if they are to get back into the game and keep their trophy hopes alive.

Pryor, with his second five-wicket haul of the season and a best-ever five for 28, has taken his season's wicket tally to 29 in handing himself an early wedding present.

He marries New Zealand soccer international Tara Cox in a couple of weeks before heading to play league cricket in England this winter.

Buoyed by the early wickets of former internationals Mark Bailey and Grant Bradburn, Pryor was the perfect follow-up to opening bowlers Kerry Walmsley and David Sewell.

With nine wickets between them, the pace trio kept Northern under hold and spinner Paul Wiseman out of the attack.

Test incumbents Mark Richardson and Horne will be looking for a repeat of their last opening partnership -193 against Wellington on Thursday - when the match resumes this morning.