KEY POINTS:
Few things are more irritating to a fielding team than a last-wicket intervention in an otherwise satisfying day.
Rather like a good night out being followed by a long wait at the taxi rank.
So Auckland finished the opening day of their third-round State Championship match against Canterbury at Eden Park slightly grumpy at events in the final hour yesterday.
The day began badly, with English professional Mal Loye failing a fitness test on a dodgy calf. But between that and the final hour, things went well for Auckland.
After chipping their way through the Canterbury first innings, having chosen to field on the outer oval, Auckland were held up by a 10th-wicket stand of 47 by debutant Sonny Chan and Chris Small, which carried the visitors from an ordinary 204 for nine to a half-decent 251. At stumps, Auckland were four for none.
It was slow going for much of the day, apart from a purposeful 68 off 99 balls from Peter Fulton. Canterbury averaged well under three an over throughout the innings as Auckland's bowlers collectively did a tidy job.
Fulton began with a couple of rasping drives through point and banged nine fours and a couple of sixes, off Tama Canning and Paul Hitchcock, in the most authoritative innings of the day. He dominated the most productive stand of the innings, 65 at run-a-minute rate with Craig McMillan.
None of Canterbury's middle order was able to lift the tempo. McMillan's 12 took 77 minutes, captain Chris Harris and Shanan Stewart needed 68 and 86 balls respectively for their braces of 23; wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk laboured over an hour for 10.
But just when Auckland were mentally preparing for a few overs batting, out came Chan at No 11 to put a burr under Auckland's saddle.
He breathed some late life into the day as Small dropped anchor at the other end. Five times he crashed deliveries to the boundary with impressive driving, belying his lowly position in the order, before being last man out.
Andre Adams toiled hard for his three wickets and his bowling buddies all made a contribution, including Lou Vincent, whose one over produced a wide and a wicket.
There was time for one over before stumps from Leighton Burtt, during which Tim McIntosh survived a leg before wicket appeal, for which vociferous would be an understatement.
* Ross Taylor's double century put Central Districts firmly in charge against Otago in Napier - and will doubtless add volume to calls for his promotion to the national side.
Taylor belted 217 in 212 balls as competition leaders CD, having won the toss, made 394 at almost four runs an over.
Otago were 72 for one in 16 overs, but it was Taylor with his third and highest first-class hundred who dominated. He hit 26 fours, two sixes, highlighted by a 168-run third-wicket stand with wicketkeeper Bevan Griggs, who hit 75, before dominating a 113-run eighth-wicket stand with Robbie Schaw, who made 23.
* Wellington, having won the toss, took the initiative against Northern Districts to be 351 for five at stumps in Hamilton.
Opener Matthew Bell made 101, his 17th first-class century, following his 91 against Auckland last week, and he was helped by solid hands from captain Michael Parlane (61), brother Neal Parlane (66 not out) and Chris Nevin (50) on a day of toil for the bowlers.
