Cricket: Batsmen setting the pace

Batsmen continued to dominate on the final day of the three-day warm-up match between Canterbury and Otago at Hagley Oval yesterday.

Following a rollicking unbeaten 173 by Chris Harris on Monday, Otago's Craig Cumming reached three figures yesterday before retiring.

Otago, after a disappointing first innings of 239 for nine, showed greater application to reach 255 for five before declaring. That left Canterbury to make 124. Their chase ended 14 short, with eight wickets still intact.

Cumming batted 269 minutes for his 108 runs and struck 12 fours and a six. He featured in a partnership of 74 with Lee Germon in 68 minutes.

Germon, who was unbeaten on 49, also featured in an unbeaten partnership of 44 in 50 minutes with Craig Pryor.

Paul Wiseman was the best of the Canterbury bowlers, taking two for 80 from 29 overs.

Brad Doody retired with 53 in Canterbury's second innings and Michael Papps was unbeaten on 43, adding to his 41 in the first innings.

The teams will meet again today in a one-day match at Hagley Oval.

* At Devonport Domain, Auckland were 126 for nine in their first innings on the second day of a three-day friendly against Wellington.

Wellington were dismissed in their first innings for 170.

Auckland began promisingly with an opening stand of 29 between Matt Horne and Tim McIntosh, but wickets then fell steadily and at one stage they were 45 for seven.

Five wickets tumbled for just two runs.

But Blair Walker (25 not out) and Andre Adams (38) gave the innings a degree of respectability with a partnership of 52 for the ninth wicket.

The highlight of the Wellington innings was an unbeaten 61 by international Chris Nevin.

Otago 239-9 dec and 255-5 dec (C. Cumming 108 retired, L. Germon 49no, R. Lawson 22, C. Pryor 25no; P. Wiseman 2-80) drew with Canterbury 371-7 dec and 110-2 (B. Doody 53 retired, M. Papps 43no).