Wellington impressive in Super Max semi win

Sensible fast bowling from Carl Bulfin and innocuous, but accurate, medium-pace from Matthew Walker and Paul Hitchcock carried Wellington to its victory over Otago in Auckland.

No matter the batsmen, Bulfin managed to pin them all down with tight control and he had the same figures in both innings, two wickets for 11 runs from his two overs.

Walker, a bowler of bulk, managed to get through the defences consistently while Hitchcock had a happy knack of picking up wickets at just the right time.

Bowlers came back in the Otago first innings and Wellington's second innings to halt what seemed to be runaway scoring trains. Andrew Hore's 45 in Otago's first innings was a continuation of the form he showed in Westport when he hit Otago to a victory over Canterbury to qualify for the semi-finals.

But once he was dismissed, just after having scored the shot of the match, a straight-lofted six out of the ground, there was little else of substance in the Otago batting and the Wellington bowlers Bulfin, Walker and Hitchcock closed the game right down.

Wellington started at a similar rate in its second innings, although it suffered dearly after Roger Twose was given not out by the third umpire Dave Quested to what looked to be a neat piece of catching at point by Neil Rushton. Twose was on four at the time and playing out a difficult over from Karl O'Dowda who conceded only one run in the over.

Twose then blasted three Max shots over the long on-long off fence, one a four and two sixes, before Craig Pryor bowled him. When Chris Nevin departed two balls later, the momentum was lost and two other strong hitters, Richard Petrie and Grant Donaldson were forced to graft more than they would have wanted.

But if Wellington's bowlers were tight in the first innings, they were more impressive in the second and Otago was squeezed out of the game. Bulfin (1-11), Walker (2-10) and Hitchcock (2-14) off their two overs were outstanding.