KEY POINTS:
An onslaught from Luke Vivian powered Auckland to a fine Twenty20 cricket win over Central Districts in New Plymouth yesterday.
Vivian clouted 55 not out from 18 balls as Auckland ran down the home team's 185 for nine with six wickets and seven deliveries to spare.
He took toll on the short boundaries at Pukekura Park to smack six sixes and two fours as Auckland scored 40 runs off the last three overs.
Captain Richard Jones was primarily responsible for Auckland being in with a shout as he scored an excellent 63 off 46 balls, with five fours and three sixes, before being dismissed shortly before Vivian hit the winning runs.
Otago gave Wellington a master class in the abbreviated game, beating them by 119 runs at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
Fresh from posting 222 for three in a comfortable win over Canterbury, Otago helped themselves to 215 for six before routing the home side for 98.
There was only one team in it after Otago sparked into life on the back of some fireworks from teenage opening batsman Hamish Rutherford, who
smacked 87 off just 38 balls, including eight fours and six sixes.
Aaron Redmond scored 32, Greg Todd 30 and Nathan McCullum 24 as Otago toyed with the Wellington attack.
The result was sealed inside the second over of Wellington's response when they had slumped to 10 for three after the cheap dismissals of Chris Nevin, Stephen Fleming and Jeremy Dean, the latter two both making ducks.
The only saving grace for Wellington was the fact the end came quickly as they were dismissed in 14.1 overs.
Warren McSkimming was the pick of the bowlers, taking three for 28 while Nathan McCullum and Neil Wagner had two for three and two for six respectively.
Canterbury got the better of Northern Districts in a low-scoring match in Christchurch.
They won by four wickets after restricting Northern Districts to just 119 for eight.
Canterbury got home with nine balls to spare on the back of an innings of 36 from Johann Myburgh and 23 by captain Kruger van Wyk.
Seamer Joseph Yovich did his best for the visitors by claiming three for 23 but Northern Districts never had enough runs to play with after their batsmen failed to flatter.
Only BJ Watling, with 48, and Kane Williamson, 30, troubled the Canterbury bowlers, who were well led by Michael Davidson, who took two for nine off his four overs, and Andrew Ellis with two for 21.
- NZPA
