Cricket: Twins shift Northern into cruise control

By TERRY MADDAFORD

James and Hamish Marshall put paid to the notion that one-day cricket is the domain of the big hitters as they steered Northern Districts to a 17-run victory over Auckland in the domestic final at North Harbour Stadium.

The twins, a fortnight shy of their 24th birthdays, laid the foundation for Northern's easier-than-expected State Shield triumph with their 107-run, 82-minute second-wicket partnership.

That effort deservedly won them the joint man of the match.

The pair rarely get the chance to bat together these days, but it did not take long for the partnership to click.

While there was a sprinkling of majestic strokes - they hit five boundaries each and James put one over the fence - this was a partnership built on smartly run singles.

They seemed not to need to call as they scampered back and forth, running 57 singles, often with the ball virtually at their feet.

It was calculated cricket at its best by two players who remain there or thereabouts in the national selectors' thinking.

Regularly picking out the more ponderous Auckland fielders with their shots, the Marshalls showed cricket is indeed a thinker's game.

After Hamish's dismissal at 150, the innings lost its momentum but handy contributions from the other Northern brothers, Matt and Robbie Hart, steered the visitors to a reasonable but hardly daunting 234 for seven.

Less than 40 minutes into Auckland's reply, it was all but over.

Looking to their all-international top order for the foundation, the Auckland innings was quickly in tatters.

Matt Horne was out to a limp shot without scoring, Mark Richardson went caught at the wicket for five and Llorne Howell was cleaned out by Ian Butler for one after 38 minutes of the scratchiest batting he has probably ever displayed.

At 18 for three, the home side were gone.

Butler, closing on his best form in front of national selectors Ross Dykes and Brian McKechnie, showed he should again be in the frame when the team for Sri Lanka is named.

He bowled at pace, rarely giving the Auckland batsmen deliveries to attack. His new-ball partner Joseph Yovich took two wickets to his one, but Butler was the more impressive.

Yovich was again blighted by wide deliveries - 11 in Northern's tally of 23 extras.

Any idea Auckland might have entertained of at least making some sort of a game of it were dashed on two fronts.

Tama Canning never got going. After playing the anchor in the initial salvage operation with Rob Nicol - 55 in 64 minutes for the fourth wicket - Canning was unable to lift the tempo and eventually went for 44 in just over two hours.

Auckland were thwarted in their hopes of upping the tempo by Northern's two-pronged left-arm spin attack from Bruce Martin and Matt Hart.

Between them they ripped the middle-order apart, snaring Nicol and Aaron Barnes. More importantly, they gave up just 71 runs from their 20-over allotment.

In the end, the home side was flattered by getting as close to their target as they did.

The match was long gone before the lower-order, led by Reece Young, were called to arms, Auckland finishing at 217 for seven.

With one trophy in their cabinet, Northern, who were only third-best in the round-robin, can now chase the Shield-Championship double.

In bottom place after four rounds - 11 points behind leaders Auckland - they face a similar come-from-behind challenge.

Judging by their showing in the Shield final - and their similar effort in the must-win semifinal earlier in the week - who would discount them?

ND grab fourth one-day crown

Northern Districts' 17-run win over Auckland was their fourth domestic one-day title.

Their other wins came in 1979-80, 1994-95 and 1997-98.

Auckland have won the title seven times, 1972-73, 1978-79, 1980-81, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1986-87 and 1989-90.

The domestic one-day provincial competition began in the 1971-72 season.