Cricket: Brownlie stars in solid start against Auckland

Dean Brownlie made the ideal start in his bid to force international selection through strong form for Canterbury as they ground Auckland down from the start of their Plunket Shield match yesterday.

Perth-born Brownlie was 74 not out and Canterbury 281 for six at stumps on the first day at QEII Park Village Green after captain Peter Fulton won the toss and chose to bat.

Rob Nicol scored 75, fellow-opener Michael Papps 41 and Fulton 42 to lay the foundation of a sizeable score.

Two wickets late in the day from Andre Adams was a hiccup for the hosts, who cruised to 272 for four.

Australian Brownlie displayed a mix of attacking and patient qualities during a three-hour knock which he hopes will extend well into the second day. Last summer he scored 374 runs in 10 innings at an average close to 50 for Canterbury, including a century in his Plunket Shield debut.

Adams and Bhupinder Singh were the pick of eight bowlers employed by Auckland, the latter taking two for 53 in 28 tight overs of off spin.

In Queenstown, Northern Districts and particularly evergreen pace bowler Graeme Aldridge began where they left off last summer as Otago stuttered on the first day.

The competition's leading wicket-taker when ND stormed to last year's title, Aldridge was straight back on song, snaffling six for 45 from 18 overs. Otago did well to recover from an early Aldridge onslaught to reach 301.

The visitors started brightly in response. In 13 overs before stumps they raced to 60, with openers Daniel Flynn and Brad Wilson unbeaten on 32 and 23 respectively.

Otago captain Craig Cumming will have rued his decision to bat first, finding himself and three teammates back in the pavilion before the first drinks break - the scoreboard reading 38 for four.

Right-arm seamer Aldridge snared all four before the completion of his seventh over, rekindling the aggressive pace and movement that marked his superb first class campaign last season. A beneficiary was 19-year-old wicketkeeper Owen Ivins, who gloved five catches in his first-class debut, four from the bowling of Aldridge.

Otago threatened to repeat their first-innings capitulation for 88 when the teams met in the first round last season, but opener Aaron Redmond avoided the early carnage and compiled 42.

The real resistance came in the middle order where Derek de Boorder compiled a fine 92 and Sam Wells 70. They took advantage of some loose bowling from veteran Joseph Yovich, who conceded 57 from his five overs.

Nick Beard scored 36 of his 37 runs from boundaries late in the Otago innings.

In Napier, Wellington's raw seam attack and gloveman Joe Austin-Smellie led a post-lunch rearguard against Central Districts to snatch the advantage. At a Nelson Park venue best known for its generosity to batsmen, the visitors will be pleased to have dismissed Central Districts for 293 before responding with an unblemished 35.

- NZPA