KEY POINTS:
Auckland allrounder Andre Adams has been making his mark on the scoreboard all season, but yesterday he did lasting damage.
It was as if the board on the Eden Park outer oval, which doubles as a beer advertisement, had suggested: "Andre can't play offspinners".
Yeah right!
Central Districts bowler Tim Lythe might beg to differ. He had just begun a spell of bowling when Adams came to the crease in the State Championship match with Auckland 267 for 6 and rather bogged down in their reply to CD's paltry first innings of 61.
Adams treated his first ball from Lythe as a sighter. He clubbed the second for four. The third went like a missile straight for his name on the electronic scoreboard drilling a jagged hole. A single off the next ball and Lythe was out of the attack.
But Adams hadn't finished. He hit 38 off 32 balls with two sixes and three fours before he fell to a catch at midwicket with Auckland 318 for 8.
Coupled with his two five-wicket bags this season it is the kind of form that suggests the 30 year-old's Black Caps career is still very much alive.
His batting cameo - despite a stomach upset - inspired some of his teammates in the Auckland lower order. Lance Shaw and Andy McKay combined in an undefeated last wicket partnership of 86 with Shaw scoring a career high 52 and McKay 36 before Auckland declared at 408 for 9. At stumps, CD, 342 behind on the first innings, were 25 without loss. With two days to play, the odds are heavily on Auckland achieving their first outright victory of the season.
Starting at 162 for 2 Rob Nicol and Martin Guptill managed 27 runs in the first hour and just when they had begun to up the run rate, Nicol was caught behind for 42 to give Kurt Richards his maiden first class wicket.
With the total still 204, Guptill holed out on the boundary for 83, still chasing his first century after falling at 99 in his debut match two seasons ago. Adams, Reece Young (34) and particularly the last wicket partnership took the sting out of the CD attack after some early success.
Brent Hefford and Brendon Diamanti with 70 overs between them shouldered much of the burden and Lythe survived the Adams onslaught to take three wickets.
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CANTERBURY v NORTHERN DISTRICTS
Northern Districts had a long look at the future yesterday as schoolboy cricketer Corey Anderson underlined the huge promise he has in the game.
Anderson, 16, stroked a thoughtful 69 not out as Canterbury ended the day at 243 for five in reply to Northern Districts' first innings score of 318 in Rangiora.
Anderson, promoted to the Canterbury XI last summer and whose workload as a left-arm medium-fast bowler is being closely monitored, batted for a touch under four hours and shared a unbroken stand of 84 for the sixth wicket with his captain Kruger van Wyk.
The South African wicketkeeper batsman very much played the senior role to score 59 not out after getting a reprieve on 12 when he was dropped at second slip.
It will be van Wyk's job today to guide Anderson towards what would be a memorable maiden first-class century.
Anderson showed the right temperament batting at No 6 and coming to the wicket with Canterbury 73 for four after international Peter Fulton's comeback match following knee surgery ended with his dismissal for 22.
Before that another South African, Johannes Myburgh, registered his second first-ball duck in three innings this season when he was bowled by young medium-fast bowler Tim Southee.
Andrew Ellis contributed 39 before Anderson and then van Wyk took centre stage as Canterbury battled hard against tight, disciplined bowling from Northern Districts.
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WELLINGTON v OTAGO
Wellington showed their liking for the home comforts at the Basin Reserve as they ended the second day at 391 for eight with a handy 119 lead against Otago. They dismissed Otago for 272 on Monday.
Resuming at 48 for one, Wellington's most experienced players, former skipper Matthew Bell and captain Michael Parlane - boasting a combined tally of 254 first-class appearances - put together a second wicket stand of 184.
Parlane's 104 (his 14th first-class century) contained 14 fours and two sixes on a good batting surface in hot conditions.
He set the pace for much of the first session, quickly overtaking his partner Bell, who was on 30 at the start of play. With Parlane in such an ebullient mood Bell was happy to take a back seat.
The approach worked as Wellington passed the 200 mark in just 229 minutes before Bell was prised out for 83 by seamer Warren McSkimming.
Four runs later Parlane joined him in the pavilion before Jesse Ryder smacked 11 fours to reach 52 until his contribution was ended by Bradley Scott shortly before tea.
Neal Parlane ensured the Otago bowlers had to toil hard as he made 46 then former international Chris Nevin chimed in with an unbeaten 43 to ensure the Otago players had a full day in the field.
- NZPA
