Cricket: Rain rules again bring criticism

By GRAHAM REDDAWAY and NZPA

The intricacies of the Duckworth-Lewis method of establishing a fair target in rain-interrupted one-dayers was evident in the clash between Auckland and Central Districts at Eden Park.

When rain closed Central's innings at 195 for five from 45 overs, and the necessary information had been fed into the computer, it transpired that Auckland would need 180 from 30 overs at a run a ball to win their State Shield clash.

A slow outfield when play resumed at 5.50 pm made the task monumental and Auckland fell short by 19 runs for the loss of eight wickets.

Central coach Dipak Patel thought Auckland would need about 150, but the chase had been partly calculated on the loss of only five wickets and for that, they paid the penalty. Auckland coach Tony Sail said the Duckworth-Lewis system hardly took account of the aftermath of wet weather.

A wet outfield meant that good shots which would have normally produced four runs were producing only two, and that made the job quite a bit harder, Sail said.

Patel said his side's outstanding fielding and the work of spinners Campbell Furlong and Glen Sulzberger were the crucial factors in the win.

A great catch by Andrew Schwass on the square-leg boundary to dismiss Llorne Howell for three and a sharp caught-and-bowled by Furlong to get rid of a rampant Matt Horne were the turning points for Central.

Horne scored 67, with his 50 coming from 33 balls, and while he was at the wicket, Auckland were comfortably ahead of the required rate.

Aaron Barnes batted bravely with a back injury to make 54 from 65 balls, but the remaining batsmen self-destructed by trying to bash the ball around instead of milking the attack for ones and twos.

Sail put that down to inexperience.

"To be fair," he said, "we should have won the match and could have had we stuck to the game plan.

"But we had a fair bit of inexperience and that came through in the end.

Neither coach believed their team were out of the competition. Central, the defending champions, have six points with five rounds remaining and Auckland have four.

The crucial match will be the return fixture between the two sides at New Plymouth on Wednesday.

A loss to either would probably end their campaign.

In Alexandra, Northern Districts comfortably beat Otago by 73 runs.

Otago were dismissed for 155 after Northern had compiled 229 for eight in their 50 overs.

The crucial partnership in the Northern innings was one of 62 for the fourth wicket between the Marshall twins, James and Hamish.

James scored 49 from 94 balls before he was brilliantly stumped by Martyn Croy off a leg-side wide by Craig Cumming.

Hamish went on to make 46 off 62 balls before he was caught behind off paceman James McMillan.

Grant Bradburn, Jaden Hatwell and Robbie Hart also chipped in usefully to set Otago a demanding target.

Otago lost the hard-hitting Andrew Hore almost immediately, but there was promise in a 40-run second-wicket stand between Cumming and Robbie Lawson.

However, Lawson was caught on the third-man boundary for 23, Cumming hit a return catch to Bradburn after top scoring with 43 and the Otago innings then fizzled out.

Captain Lee Germon made 34 off 48 balls, his top score of the season, but Otago's fate had long been sealed.

The Northern wickets were shared among Graeme Aldridge, Simon Doull, Grant Bradburn, Joseph Yovich and Daryl Tuffey.

In Christchurch, play was abandoned without a ball being bowled in the match between Canterbury and Wellington after overnight and morning rain left the outfield sodden.

The teams took two points each.

Wellington stay in the lead with 20 points, Northern are second on 17 and Canterbury third on 11.