Cricket: Walker's spin wins the day

Fortune favoured the brave when captain Brooke Walker decided to take Auckland's fate into his own hands against Canterbury in Christchurch yesterday.

The home team had reached 218 for eight in pursuit of the 254-run winning target set by Walker and, with Peter Fulton leading the charge, threatened to snatch an unlikely win.

It had hardly been Walker's game until that point.

His two innings lasted a total of two balls, and Fulton had earlier belted him out of the bowling attack with two sixes during an over that cost 20 runs.

But Walker was nothing if not courageous and decided to risk his leg-spin against Fulton after the final drinks break.

In six balls the game was all over. Auckland won by 35 runs to establish a six-point lead over Wellington on the State Championship standings.

Fulton cross-batted Walker's second delivery to Llorne Howell at mid-wicket to depart for 84.

Four balls later, Wade Cornelius edged a return catch to the Auckland captain. Auckland will enter the last round on 39 points, playing against second-placed Wellington, on 33.

Central Districts (32) are to meet Otago (6), and Canterbury (26) play Northern Districts (22).

Walker ensured a result by allowing Canterbury at least 72 overs to pursue victory in blustery north-west conditions.

He was rewarded when Andre Adams made an initial breakthrough which was extended by others until Canterbury lost their fifth wicket at 73 and their sixth at 118.

Fulton and Paul Wiseman launched a Canterbury comeback with such authority that their 80-run partnership took only 60 minutes.

Fulton breezed past his previous highest first-class score of 46 and by the time he departed he had struck 10 fours and three sixes off 110 balls.

At 198, Adams swung the balance back towards Auckland by dismissing Wiseman and Cleighten Cornelius with consecutive balls.

Adams' figures of four for 55, coupled with a career-best 72 earlier with the bat, represented a very useful return.

Fulton might not have carried Canterbury to victory with his most imposing innings at first-class level, but should derive plenty of confidence from the match.

He also improved on his best bowling figures in each innings, finishing with a match analysis of seven for 94.

The day started with celebrations for one Aucklander, as left-handed opening batsman Tim McIntosh reached his third century in four appearances against Canterbury. He was finally removed for 123 after resuming on 80.

Auckland will now have to play very badly against Wellington not to finish the season as national champions.

* Central Districts dented Wellington's hopes of a clean sweep of domestic titles with a 116-run victory in Napier.

Set a target of 320 from 130 overs, the national Max and limited-overs champions were out for 203. Overnight batsman Grant Donaldson's 40 was the top score of the innings.

Wellington began the day on 71 for four and needing a big middle-order partnership to snatch the initiative from Central.

Donaldson and James Franklin (33) gave the visitors hope with a 52-run stand for the sixth wicket, and Franklin and Mark Jefferson, who shared a 76-run partnership in the first innings, added 41 for the seventh.

But the dismissals of Franklin and Jefferson in quick succession, as in the first innings, signalled an end to Wellington's resistance, and Central wrapped up the game with one-and-a-half sessions to spare.

Seamers Andrew Schwass and Lance Hamilton each ended the game with five wickets, and offspinner Glen Sulzberger captured two in each innings to be the most successful Central bowlers

* Otago will fill bottom spot after another outright defeat.

They were were routed by an innings and 28 runs by Northern Districts in Hamilton.

Needing 342 to make the home team bat again after scoring only 118 in their first innings, Otago showed some fighting spirit, but were dismissed in the second session for 314.

Resuming at 176 for two, Otago's chances of surviving the day relied mostly on the not out pair of skipper Craig Cumming and Jordan Sheed.

But Graham Aldridge used the second new ball to fine effect to bowl Cumming for 79 and to trap Sheed leg-before for 64.

Only a last-wicket partnership of 55 between Neil Rushton (30 not out) and David Sewell (24) got Otago close to making Northern bat again.

Aldridge finished with four for 43 and left-arm spinner Bruce Martin captured three for 91.

Scott Styris was the game's outstanding individual with his innings of 212 not out as Northern reached 460 for seven declared in their only turn at bat.

- NZPA