KEY POINTS:
Auckland produced a consummate team performance to crush Wellington by 71 runs yesterday and qualify for the domestic one-day cricket final.
A red-hot Auckland side will face top qualifiers Otago in Dunedin on Saturday to determine the State Shield champions.
After compiling a handy 259 for nine, Auckland clamped on the pressure to dismiss Wellington for 188 off 45.1 overs at the Basin Reserve.
New Zealand seamer Chris Martin did the early damage in the chase, removing Matthew Bell and Neal Parlane with just 19 runs on the board.
Another experienced bowler, Mayu Pasupati, then dismissed Chris Nevin and Grant Elliott with two of his first three balls - in the 13th over - to reduce the fraught hosts to 46 for five.
An 82-run sixth wicket stand at nearly a run-a-ball between half-centurions Jessie Ryder and Stu Mills threatened a Wellington fightback.
But the introduction of accurate spinner Rob Nicol slowed the chase and he had a frustrated Ryder caught by Adams for 52.
Adams and Nicol switched roles to remove wicketkeeper Mills (65), prompting the last four wickets to tumble for seven runs.
Earlier left-hander David Houpapa top-scored for Auckland with 66 off 91 balls.
It wasn't as breathtaking as his matchwinning 101 when the teams last met a month ago but was just as important as he steered his side out of trouble.
They were 89 for four after Paul Hitchcock, Martin Guptill and Richard Jones all fell in the 20s.
He put on 86 for the fifth wicket with Harare-born Colin De Grandhomme, who has played for Zimbabwe under-19 and was making his Auckland debut.
ONE-DAY SEMIFINAL
AUCKLAND
P. Hitchcock c Mills b Bowden 27
M. Guptill run out 24
R. Jones c N. Parlane b Bowden 22
C. De Grandhomme c Bell b Ryder 38
R. Nicol c and b Elliott 4
D. Houpapa c Woodcock b O'Brien 66
R. Young lbw b Ryder 37
A. Adams c Nevin b Ryder 20
M. Pasupati run out 0
R. Hira not out 1
Extras (11lb, 6w, 3nb) 20
--Total (for 9 wkts, 50 overs) 259
Fall: 1/35, 2/79, 3/80, 4/89, 5/175, 6/237, 7/241, 8/253, 9/259.
Bowling: I. O'Brien 10-1-56-1, D. Bowden 10-1-52-2 (3w), S. Rasmussen 9-0-46-0 (1w, 2nb), L. Woodcock 8-0-27-0, G. Elliott 6-0-29-1 (2w, 1nb), J. Ryder 7-0-38-3.
WELLINGTON
M. Bell b Martin 0
M. Parlane c De Grandhomme b Hitchcock 15
N. Parlane c Young b Martin 4
C. Nevin b Pasupati 8
J. Ryder c Adams b Nicol 52
G. Elliott c Young b Pasupati 0
S. Mills c Jones b Adams 65
L. Woodcock b Adams 16
D. Bowden run out 2
I. O'Brien not out 1
S. Rasmussen lbw b Pasupati 1
Extras (5b, 6lb, 11w, 2nb) 24
--Total (all out, 45.1 overs) 188Fall: 1/4, 2/19, 3/42, 4/46, 5/46, 6/128, 7/181, 8/183, 9/185.
Bowling: C. Martin 8-1-30-2 (1w, 1nb), A. Adams 10-0-28-2, P. Hitchcock 7-0-28-1 (1nb), M. Pasupati 4.1-1-24-3 (4w), R. Hira 6-0-32-0 (5w), R. Nicol 10-0-35-1 (1w).
Result: Auckland won by 71 runs.
- NZPA
