Auckland woeful one day, world-beaters the next

Auckland, who just missed setting an abysmally low record for a Shell Cup one-day game when they were humiliated by Central Districts on Tuesday, looked like world champions when they set a record score of 318 to five to take them to a 131-run victory over Northern Districts on the same pitch today.

Auckland could not bat for toffee on Tuesday. Today Llorne Howell opened the way with a blistering 67 and Adam Parore chimed in with a sparkling 61.

From start to finish Lou Vincent, one of Auckland's under-achievers this summer, put together a superb 133 not out, a mixture of slashing strokes and sound defence.

There may be some truth in the rumour that when Auckland re-assemble for a Shell Cup campaign next year their captain and coach and selectors will also bring a psychiatrist into the team organisation.

On Tuesday the Aucklanders looked limp, and as if they had no idea how to counter useful one-day bowling and build a competitive total.

Beside losing a very early wicket when put in to bat today, Auckland then turned from lambs into cricketing lions.

Howell, who has been struggling to get a one-day game for Auckland this year regardless of his international background, launched such a furious early assault his first 50 contained ten fours and a six.

Vincent started sedately, but gradually grew in confidence as he and Howell put on 118 for the second wickets between the second and 23rd overs.

Then Adam Parore became the perfect partner for the belligerent Vincent. They scored 112 together for the third wicket between the 23rd and 40th overs, and then Vincent was in total command over the last fifth of the innings, with sturdy support from Tama Canning and Dion Nash.

Parore, sometimes a sober-sided acquirer of runs, opened with a magnificent straight six, and he hit four more before being caught trying for the sixth.

Vincent, who has not really developed the startling promise he showed three or four years ago, is usually noted for the incandescent power of his stroking. He did hit some shots with murderous force.

But a breakdown of his innings shows a new one-day maturity for Vincent. During his innings he scored 51 singles, five twos, 15 fours and two sixes. He seemed to plan his innings, rather than chase runs recklessly.

The pace of the Auckland batting seldom slowed. The balls faced for the six 50s were 62, 52, 66, 47, 37, 29. The minutes for the same scores were 45, 35, 40, 30, 24 and 22.

It was not a happy day for Northern Districts, especially as they realised that while they were taking a fearsome hiding from Auckland, Central Districts were slaughtering Otago, and most likely to steal Northern's favoured position at the top of the Cup ladder and with an automatic path to the final.

Simon Doull got ND an early wicket, but bowled only four overs - and some splendidly athletic fielding and catching made his absence from the bowling crease all the more puzzling.

The rest of the ND bowlers had their good moments, which Auckland met with sensible defence, but were unable to counter the block-busting batting of Howell, and the lethal work of Vincent and Parore.

Scott Styris took a heavy hammering, and seemed to lose confidence as Howell, Vincent and Parore took 84 runs from his nine overs, and one of those a maiden.

ND persisted with their gamble of using Daniel Vettori and Doull in their first three batsmen, in search of quick runs.

Vettori did score quickly while he lasted, but too soon ND found themselves two wickets down, and despite some defiant work by Styris and the Marshall brothers in the middle of the innings the loss of four wickets for 42 in the first 11 overs was a hurdle they never looked like clearing.

Vincent's 133 fell just short of his own Auckland Cup record of 145 set last season, but Auckland made short work of their previous record innings score of 309, set against ND in 1982/83.