By GRAHAM REDDAWAY
Wellington cricket's ageless cavaliers of the short game, Richard Petrie and Roger Twose, never doubted that their side would retain the Shell Super Max title at Eden Park yesterday.
After holding Auckland to 99-2 with smart bowling by James Franklin, Carl Bulfin and Paul Hitchcock, the boundlessly inventive pair
took Wellington to a 12-run lead - fatal as far as the home side were concerned.
And when Auckland batted a second time in an innings shortened by rain to eight overs, the tubby frame of Matt Walker applied the stranglehold and Auckland could only offer a chase of 52.
It was a target treated with arrogance by Petrie and Twose.
There was a tense moment when Chris Drum bowled a bouncer to Petrie in very poor batting conditions. Petrie wields a heavy bat and somehow the ball skied off the blade into the boundary for four. The alternative had he missed was a broken nose.
Petrie's message to Drum looked priceless, given the body language as the pair came together at the end of the over.
Andre Adams further emphasised his athletic ability and energy with the ball for Auckland, and Aaron Barnes and Llorne Howell provided the best batting.
But Wellington, well led by Matthew Bell, were simply too good.
