Cricket: Relaxed Fleming gives chance to Canterbury

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Freed of the shackles of captaincy, New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming fashioned an assured 78 runs for Canterbury on the third day of their Shell Trophy cricket match against Auckland, at Eden Park yesterday.

At the crease with his team's innings on the brink of collapse, Fleming played a key role in his team's recovery against a spirited Auckland attack.

His match-high knock helped the visitors to a second innings 258, which leaves Auckland with a 161-run winning target today.

"It was hard work," Fleming admitted later. "It was a bit slow and it took some time for me to adjust to the longer version of the game.

"I saw the trophy match as a great opportunity to spend time in the middle and play Brooke Walker's leg spin. Without the worries of captaincy I have been able to relax and enjoy it. What's coming up [the test series against Australia] is going to be very taxing so this was an ideal lead-in."

Although he has had a quick look at the strip which will be used for the first test starting on Saturday, he was reluctant to compare it with the one being used for this match, on the outer oval.

"While they are both the same couch grass, it is too early to make any judgment on the test wicket."

Canterbury wasted little time in ending Auckland's first innings yesterday morning.

Resuming at 274 for nine, Auckland added only 11 runs before Aaron Redmond removed Kyle Mills to claim his fourth wicket of the innings.

Following their disturbing first innings trend, the visitors were quickly in trouble, losing the unlucky Brad Doody for one when a ball from Mills appeared to get caught in his pads before rolling back and dislodging a bail.

When captain Gary Stead followed quickly the visitors looked to Jarrod Englefield and Fleming for some much-needed stability.

The left hand-right hand combination worked well, adding 133 runs in 157 minutes before Fleming was trapped in front by Tama Canning.

Englefield followed not much later. When Craig McMillan, who had looked uncomfortable throughout his 52-minute stay, was taken by wicketkeeper Adam Parore for 27 and Aaron Redmond followed without scoring in the same Andre Adams over, Canterbury appeared vulnerable at 173 for six and a lead of only 75.

Not for the first time in his career, Chris Harris who, unlike Fleming, McMillan and Parore is not required for test duty, mounted the salvage operation.

He had his luck, being dropped on 37 by Richard King off Aaron Barnes and on 56 by Adams off Canning. However he hung around long enough to share in valuable partnerships with Gareth Hopkins and Carl Anderson. The latter might have been a trifle unlucky in being adjudged leg before to Adams- in the over after he had dropped Harris - for 17.

Harris, as is so often the case, was unbeaten at the end.

Auckland go into the last day in equal top place on 14 points with Northern and Central Districts. Outright points today could have them alone at the head of the table.