Cricket: Patel leads final-day demolition of Auckland

Patience had its rewards for Wellington, who completed a 99-run Plunket Shield cricket win over Auckland yesterday.

The hosts set the scene for a last-day run-chase by declaring their second innings closed at 280 for five just three overs into yesterday's play at the Basin Reserve.

Captain Matthew Bell left Auckland a fair target of 363 off 103 overs on a pitch continuing to play well, but the visitors were not up to the task after the early removal of both openers. Martin Guptill lasted just nine balls before departing leg-before-wicket then skipper Richard Jones, fresh from a century in the first innings, edged a wide offering from left-arm seamer Andy McKay to wicketkeeper Chris Nevin for 20.

Ravi Bopara, Anaru Kitchen and Scott Styris all made starts but were dismissed in the 20s after having established themselves.

Andrew de Boorder did better to score a thoughtful 47 although his departure left Auckland 205 for six at tea at which stage survival was their only thought. Jeet Raval topscored with 69 but lacked support for Auckland to even threaten their target.

The bowling workload was shared around, with seamer Dewayne Bowden and offspinner Jeetan Patel impressing most.

Bowden took three for 43 while Patel completed a busy match with three for 87 off 34.4 overs. Patel ended the match with an analysis of seven for 160 off almost 71 overs.

In Rangiora, a long wait ended for Canterbury when they beat Otago by 115 runs.

Otago scored a fighting 355 in their second innings but they were always behind the eight ball after being left a victory target of 471.

Three half-centuries were never going to be enough to get them over the line as Canterbury celebrated their first outright success since winning the 2007/08 final over Wellington.

Otago resumed on the fourth morning yesterday on 65 without loss and continued to prosper as openers Leighton Morgan and Shaun Haig advanced the score to 124 before being parted.

Morgan was the first to go for 65 when Todd Astle threw down the stumps from the covers and thereafter wickets fell at regular intervals as Otago stumbled to lunch at 190 for five.

Haig soon joined Morgan in the pavilion for 67 while Greg Todd and Brendon McCullum fell cheaply.

Neil Broom made a start and reached 30 before being undone by a sharp catch by Michael Papps off Leighton Burtt while Sam Wells contributed 27 and it was then left to allrounder Warren McSkimming and Neil Wagner to throw the bat.

These two put on a highly entertaining stand of 88 in a little over 14 overs as they adopted an aggressive mindset.

Wagner hit five fours and two sixes in rushing to 41 before Astle held a smart catch off fast bowler Chris Martin operating with the second new ball.

McSkimming's defiance ended when he had reached 70 off 89 balls, including eight fours and two sixes, when a bouncer from Andrew Ellis was edged to Peter Fulton at first slip.

The wickets were shared around the Canterbury bowlers, with the best of them being seamer Ellis, who finished with three for 37 off 14 overs.

Fast bowler Shane Bond sent down 21 overs to take two for 85 and end the match with six wickets as he strives to prove his fitness ahead of the first test against Pakistan next week in Dunedin.

- NZPA