Auckland fall just short of first innings target in tame draw with Canterbury

Auckland's gallant attempt to overhaul Canterbury's score of 477 and earn first innings points fell agonisingly short when it was dismissed during the morning session for 435.

The Aces' failure to reach the imposing frist innings target was largely due to the efforts of Warren Wisneski, whose career best figures of 7/151 came from a gruelling 52 overs.

As well as the seven dismissals, five of which were bowled, Wisneski scored an invaluable 58 not out in Canterbury's first innings.

He said it was the first time he had bowled over 50 overs in an innings but surprisingly fatigue had not been a factor. "With the makeup of our side going into the game, Bondy (Shane Bond) and myself were the only two real strikers, the other three being containment bowlers, one of us had to do it and because I'm a bit more senior so it had to be me really."

Being one of Canterbury's senior players had not changed the way Wisneski approached the game. Gary Stead and Chris Harris were the team's role models and he just concentrated on doing his own job.

Although his batting has improved beyond that of a tail-end slogger he said he did not consider himself to be a genuine all-rounder. "I can bat but my job is to knock sides over. I'm an opening bowler and that's what I do, so that's what I concentrate on more."

Wisneski enjoyed surviving every one of the 128 balls he faced when compiling his undefeated half-century. "As a bowler when you are in that situation everytime you face a dot ball or you hit a run you smile, because you're an opening bowler and you know exactly how it feels when the opposition do it to you. So you really try and dig in that situation and grind them into the dirt and I think it worked quite well, hence us getting three quick wickets quite cheaply. I think the same thing happened with our batsmen today ^ you can never underestimate the dragging your ass along the ground scenario."

Despite centuries from Stead and Harris Wisneski's only rival for the man of the match award was Auckland's Tim McIntosh, whose marathon maiden century took his side from the brink of disaster at 45/3 to within sight of Canterbury's 477.

McIntosh's long innings ended on 182 when he was bowled by Carl Anderson. An innocuous looking delivery beat McIntosh's tentative defensive push, spinning through the gate and taking an inside edge before running onto the stumps.

Auckland scored 390 runs with McIntosh at the crease; his innings lasted a massive 559 minutes and included 22 fours and a six.

Aaron Barnes will likely return to the Auckland side in place of McIntosh for tomorrow's Shell Cup one-day match at Jade Stadium and Tane Topia is flying down from Auckland to replace the injured Pocock.