Cricket: Quickies skittle brittle visitors

By DAVID LEGGATT

Talk about doing the captain's bidding. Brooke Walker should have been buying a round for his bowlers last night after they backed his judgment to take charge of Wellington on a shortened opening day at Eden Park yesterday.

Walker sent Wellington in to bat in the second round State Championship match with enough humidity in the air and green in the pitch on the outer oval to have his fast-medium quartet licking their lips.

Midway through the second session he and his bowlers had their feet up in the pavilion, having skittled Wellington for 113.

To their credit, Wellington scraped back some of that lost ground by having Auckland 46 for two when the rain arrived a second time to end the day at 5.35pm.

Wellington's innings could be split into three parts - call them paralysis, revival and slippery slope.

The first four wickets fell with the board jammed at 12 in the space of eight balls. Among some impressive bowling from Kyle Mills, in particular, and Andre Adams, there was some ordinary batting, plus a dopey runout.

Matthew Bell, who faced 32 balls with that odd stance of a man about to walk briskly towards cover, and without getting off the mark, charged for a sharp single from the bowlers end. He was sent back and Walker's throw from point beat him.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming got a good ball first up from Adams and Grant Donaldson's stumps were spreadeagled next ball.

The revival came from Neal Parlane and James Franklin, who put their heads down and put on a precious 71 for the sixth wicket. Parlane grafted over 2h 44min, and while far from immune to playing and missing outside off stump, deserved marks for resolve.

From 94 for five, however, Wellington found themselves trying to run up a glass slope. The last five wickets tumbled for 19 runs in 71 balls.

The Auckland bowlers were an interesting mix. Mills began with a lively, unbroken 10-over burst while his new-ball partner Gareth Shaw was wayward early, but returned later with a far better spell.

Adams, off a shortened runup, was highly effective while Tama Canning cleaned up at the finish.

In between a couple of showers, Wellington's bowlers found some help and got rid of Tim McIntosh and Lou Vincent, who had a chance last night to discuss ducks with his New Zealand captain.

Their respective second innings here will be a final chance to tune up for the first test against India next week.