Cricket: Drum, Morgan look sharp

By GRAHAM REDDAWAY

The Auckland Aces frontline pace attack of Chris Drum and Richard Morgan is almost certain to be in action again in the team to travel south for a warm-up match against Canterbury on Wednesday.

Both were in sound form in a club match on Saturday, Drum taking 4-43 for Birkenhead against Cornwall and Morgan, in the same match, bowling Cornwall to victory with 5-18.

The match, cut short by rain to 46 overs-a-side, was played on an artificial wicket and Drum at first found control difficult. But he soon worked up a fair turn of pace and regained his accuracy.

Drum, looking slim and fit, said the New Zealand A tour of India and a stint playing league cricket in Nottingham had sharpened him up.

Morgan missed much of the last first-class season through persistent injury and a subsequent loss of form but against Birkenhead he was quick and managed to produce prodigious swing and cut.

Auckland coach Tony Sail was delighted with his form.

Defending champions Cornwall won by 76 runs and took the lead in the premier one-day championship after three rounds.

In a low-scoring match reduced to 40 overs, North Shore eked out a three-wicket win over Suburbs New Lynn. Matches between Parnell and Howick Pakuranga, and Grafton against East Coast Bays, were abandoned.

In the first grade, Auckland University, with a new-look young side, celebrated their change of name with a 74-run win over Eden Roskill.

Ellerslie batsman Brad Barlow ran out of overs and was left unbeaten on 96, but it was enough to give his side a win over Howick Pakuranga.

Waitakere City did well to dismiss Takapuna for 186 in 41 overs but failed to take advantage and fell 41 runs short, while Gareth Shaw (65 not out) and Ashley Clarke (49 not out) steered Papatoetoe to a seven-wicket win over Cornwall.