Cricket: Dominant Knights leave Aces in a deep hole

The Knights' Brad Wilson on his way to 100 yesterday. Photo / Getty Images

The Aces may need to consider another name. While their netball and rugby counterparts are thriving, Auckland's cricket team remains firmly rooted to the bottom of the table after another emphatic Plunket Shield loss yesterday.

The Northern Knights cruised to a nine-wicket win inside three days, anchored by a superb century from opener Brad Wilson.

After starting the day at 125 for 3, Auckland reached 253 but it was never going to be enough; confirmed by an uninspired and unenthusiastic display in the field.

It seems a long way back for the team from the City of Sails, who have struggled to adjust to four-day cricket after their earlier success in the shorter forms of the game.

Wilson (100 off 125 balls) smashed 17 boundaries and found an able lieutenant in Daniel Flynn (68 off 84 deliveries), as they put on 136 runs in just 98 minutes.

Flynn's compact, efficient style seems ideally suited for the higher level and it still puzzles that he was not persevered with by the national selectors in light of recent batting mishaps at national level.

He did have one life on 16 - when Michael Bates misjudged a catch on the fine-leg boundary - which prompted dark stares from bowler Daryl Tuffey. BJ Watling (9) was the only Knights wicket to fall - with the score at 43.

Earlier the hosts had made a miserable start, with captain Gareth Hopkins (6) and Andrew de Boorder (54) dismissed for the addition of only 10 runs. Colin de Grandhomme and Brad Cachopa then added some starch to the innings, their partnership the only time in the match when the Aces got through 90 minutes without losing a wicket.

Grandhomme played some delightful shots through the offside - one cover drive resulting in a prolonged search for the ball - before he was surprised by a ball from Graeme Aldridge that went clean through the gate when on 56.

South African Cachopa struggled on, at times looking like he was making an instructional video on how to play the forward defensive shot. He was eventually dismissed for 27 (off 98 deliveries) and Brent Arnel (3 for 30), Aldridge (3 for 50) and Trent Boult ran through the tail.

The only consolation for Auckland fans was another undefeated knock (6) for Chris Martin, following on from his eight not out in the first innings.

After taking a career best 5-35 in the first innings, left-armer Boult picked up 3 for 47 yesterday in another impressive display. The 21-year-old, who has the rather obvious nickname of 'Lightning', has already been in extended national camps and looks one for the future.

In the other Plunket Shield match the Central Stags are 156 for5 heading into the final day, after Otago made 475 for 7 declared.