CD slump to second loss in good conditions at Pukekura Park

Auckland skipper Brooke Walker found a surface he liked and a batting side who didn't like him - and steered Auckland home by 29 runs against Central Districts in their State Shield match at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth today.

The little leg-spinner skidded the ball on, made a few turn, and picked up three for 17 from his 10 overs as Central Districts made a hash of chasing Auckland's moderate 198 on a wicket which deserved much better, ending with 169.

Auckland joined the traffic-jammed table, with just four points between Wellington (18) at the top and Otago (14) at the bottom.

Backing-up Walker were medium-pacer Tama Canning, with one for 14 from his 10, and Kyle Mills, with a tight spell as well for his two for 20 from 8.2 overs.

Those figures suggested the pitch was a minefield, but it certainly wasn't. Apart from a tidy 39 from young opener Jesse Ryder, Central's only strength came from Campbell Furlong (39) and Bevan Griggs (28) well down the order.

The Furlong-Griggs partnership of 66 started - with some reason - extremely slowly. Six wickets were down for 81 and Central was tumbling down. It was in free fall, in fact.

Griggs was the more aggressive, with Furlong playing soundly, but consistently to the fieldsmen. In fact, Furlong was seven from 50 balls, but suddenly batting seemed to become easier and he struck a couple of firm fours to get himself underway.

Griggs, who hasn't produced a lot since scoring a century for Central against India in Napier in the first week of December, settled down after an erratic start, and the 50-partnership arrived after 106 balls - and with it the first signs of uncertainty in the Auckland fielding and bowling.

Canning had produced 10 overs for just 14 runs and a wicket, one of the more parsimonious efforts this season, but once he went Central's innings got started again.

Eventually though, the pair was parted because they couldn't get Walker away - and Griggs finally top-edged the leggie to Heath Davis at backward square just when things were starting to turn Central's way.

Griggs faced 54 balls for his 28. At this point Central needed 6.5 runs an over, a tough task in terms of what had happened during the day. And so it proved.

Michael Mason came and went to Walker at 153, and Brent Hefford joined Furlong. And Furlong finally brought some joy to the populace by belting the day's first six over long-on - in the day's 94th over. It was a remarkable statistic on a ground with small boundaries which normally sees more than its share of sixes.

But Walker claimed Furlong leg before in the next over at 163, the Central spinner making a determined 39 in 88 balls, with one six and four boundaries. Furlong looked unlucky, because there were two sounds.

The wicket didn't really look to be the cause of the moderate batting. Rather both sides looked lacking in self-belief and played accordingly.

Auckland managed to get to 198, with batsmen talking about the bounce and the extra pace as being the most worrying thing after previous matches on much lower and slower surfaces.

Auckland lost four for 50 with Central left-armer Lance Hamilton being impressive. Then Matt Horne, who was at sea for a long time, gritted his teeth and added 74 with lanky Tim McIntosh before McIntosh chopped Furlong on and then Horne was horrendously run out for 82 - just when he was really starting to get to grips with things.

Horne held Auckland's hopes for a large total, but as it turned out, they didn't need it. He faced 93 balls and hit 10 boundaries. McIntosh, in contrary manner, failed to reach the boundary in his 65-ball knock, but offered Horne good support.

No other Auckland batsman scored more than 13.

Hamilton (three for 37) and Mason (three for 34) shared the wickets, with Furlong doing much the better of the Central spinners with two for 37.