Cricket: Wellington fight back against Otago

The mood of Wellington coach Vaughn Johnson lightened yesterday as Otago, after a fine start, stumbled to 306 for nine at stumps on the first day of their match.

After being put in at the Basin Reserve, Otago moved to 199 for three, but the arrival of the second new ball after tea tipped the scales back toward titleholders Wellington.

Five wickets fell for 40, which made Johnson a more contented figure by stumps.

While it represented a good day for Otago after memories of their seven-wicket loss to Central Districts in the first round last week, it could have been so much better on a batsmen-friendly pitch, which is tipped to play well for the full four days.

In mid-afternoon Otago batsmen Chris Gaffaney and Gareth Hopkins were holding all the aces as they lifted the side from a potentially disastrous 49 for three with a run-a-minute partnership for the fourth wicket of 150.

The experienced Gaffaney had the misfortune to fall for 99 from 138 balls, leg-before to Mark Gillespie, when poised to complete his eighth first-class century.

He struck 12 boundaries, as did Hopkins in his similarly aggressive 86.

Otago were still well on top, though, until Hopkins was also out leg-before to left-arm swing bowler James Franklin with the second new ball.

Next ball Franklin had Jordan Sheed caught at third slip by Jesse Ryder.

Soon after, Otago suffered a further setback when Franklin bowled former Central allrounder Greg Todd for 37 when the batsman completely misjudged the ball in shouldering arms.

Franklin was much more potent after being too short and inaccurate earlier in front of national selector Richard Hadlee.

He still ran in hard from the outset, showing no signs of the groin strain which prevented his playing last week.

With four for 57 from 24 overs Franklin finished with Wellington's best bowling return, but he did not have to battle the strong northerly wind as did fellow bowlers Gillespie and Iain O'Brien, in particular.

Johnson said there was an art to bowling into the wind, and Wellington had lost their way.

The bowlers knew what was required, he said, but failed to master it.

He defended the decision to bowl first, saying there was plenty there for the bowlers early on, and had Wellington grabbed a fourth cheap wicket the move would have been fully vindicated.

Wellington chose to leave out fiesty fast-medium bowler Ashley Turner and instead play off-spinner Jeetan Patel. Despite the absence of turn, Patel did a reasonable containing job.

- NZPA