Cricket: Test call-ups give Singe big chance

Papatoetoe opening batsman Shane Singe is poised to step into some big shoes at Eden Park today.

He has been called in on debut as cover because of the absence of test openers Lou Vincent and Mark Richardson.

Whether Singe will open or bat further down the order will be decided this morning.

Auckland go into the third round of the State Championship handily placed, but without their test players and New Zealand allrounder Kyle Mills who was injured in this week's match against Pakistan. Aaron Barnes and Craig Pryor have been recalled.

A point behind Canterbury after picking up only one point for the washed-out game against Otago, Auckland face a tough task against the team who ran them close last summer.

"I'm sure Wellington will give us a good game," Auckland coach Mark O'Donnell said yesterday.

"They have some steady bowlers which should make for a good contest."

Asked whether he would like to win the toss, bat first, get through the first session and post a decent first innings tally, O'Donnell said that was the perfect scenario.

"We need that to happen a lot more," he said. "After having a look at the pitch, that could well be the case.

"It is a different track than the one used for Otago and Pakistan, but it looks a good wicket. They have done a fantastic job in preparing a new block.

"I'll be interested to see how we bowl. I thought we did well on a two-paced, tricky wicket against Northern Districts in Hamilton.

"If I had any criticism of the time we had against Otago it was in bowling too short at times."

* Everyone will be praying there will be runs galore when Central Districts and Canterbury christen the revamped Fitzherbert Park pitch in Palmerston North today.

The pitch, made of Patumahoe clay, will receive its first-class baptism and groundsman Dave Fulton is a little nervous about it.

After three seasons in which the 20-year-old pitch proved to be treacherous for batting, it was dug up in March last year - part of an $80,000 project.

The pitch did experience 15 days of play last summer, including a week of women's matches, emerging players' games and Manawatu rep matches, including their Hawke Cup defence against Hawkes Bay.

Campbell Furlong, in his Hawkes Bay captain's report, said if the seamers worked hard, they could get something out of it.

Central have not had an auspicious start to the championship, posting an eight-wicket loss to Wellington at the Basin Reserve and a rained-out draw against Northern Districts at Gisborne.

"We need points from this game, otherwise it will make it difficult for us to make the top three."

This summer, teams split into the top three and bottom three after the first five rounds before playoffs between the respective teams in the two sections.

* Hamish Marshall will seek to continue his good international form for Northern Districts against Otago at Carisbrook.

Marshall was the outstanding batsman on the recent tour of Pakistan, scoring 243 runs at an average of 81, including a century and two half-centuries, in the five one-day internationals.

Northern Districts coach Bruce Blair was not surprised by Marshall's success.

"He's had a great start, hasn't he?" Blair said in Dunedin yesterday. "It's good to have him back with us.

"I wasn't surprised by his success in Pakistan. The one thing I've learned about Hamish is that he steps up to challenges pretty well."

Otago beat Northern by 70 runs at Carisbrook last season after three first-innings centuries. They will need that kind of productivity during the next four days if they are to gain their first win of the season.

Points after two rounds: Canterbury 10, Auckland 9, Wellington 6, Central Districts 3, Northern Districts 2, Otago 1.

The teams

Auckland v Wellington (Eden Park)

Auckland: Brooke Walker (capt), Matt Horne, Tim McIntosh, Shane Singe, Rob Nicol, Aaron Barnes, Tama Canning, Andre Adams, Craig Pryor, Reece Young, Paul Hitchcock, Kerry Walmsley.

Wellington: Matthew Bell (capt), Grant Donaldson, Michael Parlane, Neal Parlane, Luke Woodcock, James Franklin, Matthew Walker, Chris Nevin, Andrew Penn, Mark Gillespie, Jeetan Patel, Iain O'Brien.

Central Districts v Canterbury (Palmerston North)

Central Districts: Glen Sulzberger (capt), Jamie How, Peter Ingram, Mathew Sinclair, Craig Spearman, Ross Taylor, Bevan Griggs, Regan West, Ewen Thompson, Michael Mason, Brent Hefford, Lance Hamilton.

Canterbury: Chris Harris (capt), Peter Fulton, Michael Papps, Brendon McCullum, Gary Stead, Warren Wisneski, Stephen Cunis, Chris Martin, Neil Broom, Shanan Stewart, Aaron Redmond, Brendon Donkers.

Otago v Northern Districts (Carisbrook)

Otago: Craig Cumming (capt), Mohammad Wasim, Chris Gaffaney, Rob Lawson, Marcel McKenzie, Jordan Sheed, Gareth Hopkins, Warren McSkimming, Nathan Morland, Bradley Scott, David Sewell, Neil Rushton.

Northern Districts: James Marshall (capt), Hamish Marshall, Nick Horsley, Mark Orchard, Grant Robinson, Matthew Hart, Joseph Yovich, Bruce Martin, Graeme Aldridge, Gareth West, Nick Daley, Gareth Irwin.

- STAFF REPORTER, NZPA