Cricket: Late show rescues Auckland

A quick-fire last-wicket stand of 93 saved Auckland's blushes in the Plunket Shield match against Otago at Colin Maiden Park yesterday.

When tall North Shore bowler Pieter Erasmus strode to the crease, Auckland were 136-9 and facing their third disappointment at the ground in the space of a week.

Andrew de Boorder, who had come in at number seven, was 45 not out, but the groundsmen were readying the roller for a change of innings.

Erasmus, with a previous highest score of 15, had other ideas. He blasted 60 runs off 50 balls with eight fours and a six before he was bowled by Otago's sixth bowler, captain Craig Cumming, with Auckland on 229.

De Boorder, who scored a century against Central Districts earlier this season, was left 77 not out with 11 fours and a six as his Otago-based older brother, Derek, could only admire the Hastings-born youngster's efforts from behind the stumps.

Otago struggled in reply and were 100-6 at the end of the first day of the four-day match.

Until the last-wicket heroics, Otago were the ones holding the aces with every prospect of adding another defeat to the two suffered by the home team against Northern Districts.

On a morning of lowering clouds and high humidity, Warren McSkimming found perfect conditions for his swing and cut from the wicket. It took only five balls for him to dismiss Jeet Raval, a double-century maker last season, leg before.

He had Richard Jones caught at second slip, bowled Ravi Bopara and had Anaru Kitchen caught behind.

With Mathew Harvie forcing Auckland captain Gareth Hopkins to play on, Auckland went to the first rain break after 90 minutes at 62-5. McSkimming had the outstanding figures of 4-9 off seven overs.

McSkimming came back after an early rain-induced lunch to dismiss Reece Young for 20 - his 200th wicket in first-class cricket. But after 11 overs for 17 runs and five wickets, he was sidelined by a back injury and Auckland made a tentative recovery.

De Boorder and Tarun Nethula (28) added 68 to see Auckland limp to 135, but then two quick wickets set the scene for Erasmus.

Otago fared little better than Auckland when they came to the wicket. Cumming looked comfortable scoring 25 before he was deceived by Nethula. But Michael Bates took three wickets and the visitors were struggling at 49-5.

McSkimming and Greg Todd staged something of a revival but the Auckland spinners, Nerula and Bhupinder Singh, were extracting enough from the pitch to suggest they will be a factor for the rest of the game.

But neither side could blame the pitch for their troubles. There was something for all the bowlers but de Boorder and Erasmus showed that adventurous batting could be rewarded.