Cricket: Wickets tumble in topsy-turvey State Championship matches

Bizarre was the word that best summed up the action in the four-day cricket match between Otago and Auckland at University Oval in Dunedin yesterday.

How else to describe the fall of 19 wickets, two five-wicket bags and one dashing half-century?

Otago began the third day of the State Championship match at 78-1 in their first innings in pursuit of Auckland's modest 198.

They seemed to be in control until Aaron Barnes undermined their hopes.

He took five for 24, and Otago were rolled for a meagre 154.

But the home side rebounded in the field, dismissing Auckland a second time for only 126 to leave themselves a victory target of 171 today.

There have been some grumblings about the pitch - the consensus being it is too variable in bounce - but Otago's batsmen know victory is in their grasp if application and discipline win out over tentativeness.

* It was much the same story as Canterbury turned a potential calamity into a spectacular Central Districts collapse, wresting a highly improbable 125-run first-innings lead in the match at Rangiora.

By stumps Canterbury had suffered a mini-recession of their own by losing two wickets for three runs before poor light stopped play, but they still hold the initiative entering today's final day.

After being 160-3 with Mathew Sinclair and Ross Taylor reaching half-centuries, Central Districts were cruising to overhaul Canterbury's first innings total of 303 just after tea.

But in the next 40 minutes Central Districts lost their last seven wickets for a paltry 18 runs. Three fell at 174, and the last three at 178.

Medium-fast bowler Warren Wisneski caused most of the chaos as he captured five for nine in a venomous spell of 5.2 overs to finish with figures of five for 35.

* The frustration of Wellington coach Vaughn Johnson increased markedly after rain ruled out any play for the second successive day in his team's match with Northern Districts at the Basin Reserve.

As driving rain and a gale ripped through the capital, Johnson was concerned that play in the two games in the South Island would allow four of Wellington's opponents the opportunity to improve on their positions in the competition standings.

Rain on the final day of the round-robin ended Wellington's chances of reaching the semifinal of the one-day State Shield, and Johnson was concerned the unseasonal weather was going to blight his team's chances of winning the championship.

- NZPA