KEY POINTS:
Auckland posted a four-wicket win over Central Districts to go top of the State Shield one-day cricket competition standings yesterday with their fourth victory in five matches.
The top of the table clash in Hamilton left Auckland on 17 points while former leaders CD were pushed to second on 14 points with Otago taking third spot from Wellington after denying England batsman Andrew Strauss a winning debut with Northern Districts.
Wellington fell to their second consecutive defeat when they lost by five wickets to Canterbury who posted their first win, complete with a bonus point, of the competition.
CD, on the back of a second consecutive half century by opener Jamie How, seemed to have set Auckland a challenging total of 259 after winning the toss and batting first.
How, who hit 75 against Otago in the previous round, was fluent again yesterday as he struck nine boundaries in facing 99 balls for his 73.
When he was dismissed by a Richard Jones catch off Daryl Tuffey in the 38th over, CD were 170-4 after handy contributions from Peter Ingram (33) and Ross Taylor (31).
But the defending champions made light work of the target, kick-started by Paul Hitchcock, who made 59 runs from 57 deliveries in a 96-run partnership with Martin Guptill for the first wicket.
Hitchcock, who took two wickets in CD's innings, smashed seven fours and two sixes in a 73-minute stay.
Guptill then featured in a 79-run second-wicket partnership with Jones (32) before being caught lbw to Taylor 10 runs short of a deserved century.
Although international Scott Styris was bowled by Robbie Schaw for just one run, Auckland steadily gathered the remaining runs, with the majority coming from Rob Nicol (25) and Gareth Hopkins (29 not out off 30 balls).
* Strauss gave Northern Districts an ideal start but couldn't help them avoid another defeat.
ND lost to Otago by five wickets, their third defeat in five matches, despite the English international laying a solid foundation with 39 from as many balls.
His opening partnership of 55 with BJ Watling (16) was what ND needed after James Marshall won the toss and decided to bat first at Hamilton's Seddon Park.
ND were perhaps guilty of a far slower rate than their batting lineup potential indicated and scored 224 for nine in their 50 overs.
Leighton Morgan (38) and Aaron Redmond (20) gave Otago's chase a bright start with an opening partnership of 57 but the difference compared with ND was the ability of players such as Alex Gidman (54) and Neil Broom, who scored 50 off 43 balls, to collect runs quickly.
* Canterbury ended their winless streak when they beat Wellington by five wickets in Christchurch.
Wellington, who won the toss and decided to bat first, suffered their second straight loss after they were bundled out for a paltry 176 in 49.2 overs.
Canterbury, who had lost all their previous four matches, needed just 36.1 overs to reach 177 while losing five wickets for a bonus point win.
Grant Elliot made an unbeaten 81 containing seven fours and threesixes. But no other Wellington batsmen could stay with him to erect substantial partnerships except Michael Burns who contributed six runs in a 48-run ninth-wicket stand.
- NZPA
