Cricket: Drying wickets favour bowlers in club competition

There will be early finishes to at least two games in the second round of the Auckland premier club cricket competition next weekend after drying wickets gave bowlers plenty of help.

On their home ground, Suburbs New Lynn managed a first-innings lead of 12 over champions Cornwall, but had only 54 runs and three wickets in hand at the end of a day's play in which 27 wickets fell.

Cornwall fast medium-pacer Richard Morgan at one stage had all the wickets, including a hat-trick, when Suburbs collapsed to 43 for eight.

His third hat-trick victim was his team-mate in the Auckland Aces side, Tama Canning. Morgan ended with eight for 53 as Suburbs fought back to make 111, thanks to an innings of 56 by Tim Regan.

Canning's embarrassment fired up the young all-rounder, and with the support of teenager Dunu Eliaba he took six for 28 as Cornwall conceded first-innings points with their innings of 98.

But there was more to come as Suburbs batted even worse in their second innings to be 42 for seven at the close, Morgan ending with match figures of 10 for 70.

At Onewa Domain in Takapuna, Grafton's Andre Adams and Aaron Fuller bowled the home side out for 47. Grafton had no problems with the wicket and raced to 150 for six before declaring, then sent Takapuna packing again to be 55 for seven at close.

Parnell bowlers Simon Dykes and Roger Henderson, each with five-wicket bags, dismissed North Shore for 91.

Former Auckland opener Tim Macintosh batted well for an unbeaten 89 to give his side a lead of 43 with two wickets in hand.

Blair Pocock showed his ability as an all-rounder when he took four wickets and scored 70 for Howick Pakuranga, who had established a slender lead over East Coast Bays at close, albeit with six wickets in hand.

In first-grade matches, Ellerslie scored 211 against University Akarana (18-1), Papatoetoe (118) conceded first-innings points to Eden Roskill (139-9), and Waitakere City (82-7) were struggling against Birkenhead (207).