Honours even on day dominated by bowlers

Good bowling combined with a pitch that offered pace and lateral movement to provide an eventful day's cricket at WestPac Trust Park, Hamilton as the Shell Trophy got under way with a repeat of last year's final between Northern Districts and Auckland.

ND finished the day on 26-3 in reply to Auckland's 146, the bowling of Joseph Yovich and Graeme Aldridge being the highlight of the day.

The champions won the toss and gave Auckland first use of a greenish pitch. The first hour or so was uneventful, whether compared to what was to happen later or not. Pocock and McIntosh took a risk free approach that put on 42 for the first wicket, the highest partnership of the innings by some way.

The ND bowlers concentrated on short pitched bowling and struggled to make the batsmen play consistently.

When opening bowlers Doull and Yovich changed ends, it was a different story. Doull trapped Pocock lbw, before Yovich succeeded in what he had been trying to do all morning: tempt McIntosh into hooking. A first attempt made no contact, but the second was top-edged to Marshall at third slip, the first of three catches for him.

With Vincent out to a diving catch in the gully by Michael Parlane just before lunch, ND skipper Robbie Hart would have felt that his decision to field was fully justified.

After lunch Yovich and Aldridge dominated. Yovich bowled with real pace, causing discomfort to several batsmen. His dismissal of Dion Nash, caught behind as he tried to avoid a vicious delivery that reared up from just short of a length, would have given Yovich particular satisfaction, not least because he made Nash fall over as well as taking his wicket.

Yovich finished with figures of 22 - 7 - 51 - 3, a sustained piece of hostile bowling.

At the other end Graeme Aldridge was less spectacular, but just as effective. He maintained an accurate line and let the pitch do the work, finishing with 19 - 4 - 50 - 5, by some way his career best bowling figures and fully justified by his performance.

Auckland's later batsmen took the view that if they were going to get out soon, they might as well make the most of it. This phase of the game saw the day's most attacking batting with the eighth and tenth wicket partnerships being the second and third highest of the innings.

ND Coach Chris Kuggeleijn confirmed that the pitch was offering considerable seam movement, but put the low Auckland total down to some fine bowling by the ND attack. He agreed that Yovich would not look out of place in the Black Caps attack.

When ND began its reply the sky had become overcast and conditions were, if anything, more testing. Chris Drum and Richard Morgan made excellent use of the help that was available, with scoring very difficult. Drum had the luxury of bowling to a field that included five slips, a gully and a short leg.

James Marshall survived a strong lbw appeal by Morgan only to depart to Drum in the same way in the following over.

Both Parlane brothers fell to catches by Lou Vincent, keeping wicket for the first time in a first class game (though he has done the job often in limited overs cricket). That to dismiss Michael Parlane was a particularly good effort, taken low in front of first slip.

Play ended an hour early because of a shower. Honours are about even. If the pitch behaves in the same way tomorrow runs will be at a premium.