Fleming sets up Wellington win with classy innings

Stephen Fleming made a powerful statement of form ahead of New Zealand's Test matches against England when he made 88 not out as Wellington beat Northern Districts by seven wickets in a State Championship match at the Basin Reserve today.

But in doing so, Fleming also cast doubt on the form of the players who might be entrusted with the new ball throughout the England series - the Northern quicks Daryl Tuffey and Ian Butler.

Fleming's was a majestic innings which lasted two hours and 38 minutes and which contained 16 fours and a six or 70 runs from boundaries. He scored 48 runs today, moving from 40 overnight to 88 in the 70 minutes it took Wellington to complete their fourth outright win in successive games.

He put on 99 runs in an overnight partnership for the fourth wicket with Luke Woodcock which lasted 115 minutes and added 61 in 43 minutes for the fifth wicket with Grant Donaldson. Donaldson hit the winning runs - a four from James Marshall - in only the 15th over of the day and at 11.40am, still 70 minutes before lunch.

Wellington had begun the day at 123/2 with Fleming 40 not out and the youngster Woodcock settled and batting well at 30 not out. They had gone on to 152 before Woodcock was out in the 48th over for his highest first-class score of 38 and added the last 58 runs without further loss and with almost unseemly haste.

Fleming's first-class appearances for Wellington have been rare but are always appealing. This was only his second match for his adoptive association and his 88 - a sparkling innings - followed his 115 against Central Districts in his debut appearance.

The concern that mingled with the delight in Fleming's batting performance, achieved as it was while he was limited by injury, was that he greeted the attempted menaces of Tuffey and Butler so lightly. With no other selectors at this match, Fleming performed an important role as the eyes of the panel members at this match. His particular interest would have been in the form of Tuffey and, more probably, Butler.

Butler had bowled well at times in both of Wellington's innings. He built up real pace in his new ball spells in both innings and clearly disconcerted some batsmen who are not used to his pace. The young Woodcock survived only two balls in the first innings though he faced Butler and Tuffey with courage in the second.

But Fleming, a player of unmitigated class, was almost casual in the manner in which he treated Butler. Though Butler scored a small victory when he hit his captain on the hip in the Wellington first innings, causing him obvious discomfort and forcing him to bat with a runner through both innings, Fleming never seemed to find him difficult.

In the second innings and particularly today, Fleming treated Butler and Tuffey with an amused contempt.

Butler didn't open the bowling today. Tuffey did, from the Northern end, while Joseph Yovich was the first bowler used downwind.

When Butler did join the attack he seldom troubled either Fleming or Donaldson. In fact, the Wellington pair helped themselves to 19 runs from one of his overs - his 12th and the 50th of the innings. Butler bowled three overs today and conceded 27 runs. Tuffey bowled six overs for 30 runs and Fleming punished him similarly. Fleming also harmed Yovich, stinging him in a single over with two majestic cover drives.

It might not have been helpful to the brittle confidence of the young Butler that his own captain treated him so disdainfully but Fleming might feel his young charge will learn quickest in the school of hard knocks.

As the national selectors consider their bowling options ahead of the Test team announcement on Friday they may have to consider the fact that a world class batsman is not likely to be troubled by Butler's pace alone.

Fleming is all class. Even hampered by injury and batting with a runner (Richard Jones) he played magnificently today, placing the ball into the on-side field for the occasional single to rotate the strike then unleashing superb drives or ramped cuts over slip and gully.

Wellington simply strode to victory, much sooner than anyone could have expected. They now share the lead in the Championship competition with Auckland on 33 points, seven ahead of Central Districts.

Wellington play Central and Auckland in the last two Championship rounds.

"I was disappointed after our first innings," Wellington coach Vaughn Johnson said. "I thought we had shown some poor decision-making with they way guys got out.

"But I've always believed the third innings is probably the most important innings of any match. It sets up what happens in the last innings and I felt it was a great effort to bowl them out for 140. It was great to see our bowlers come up again and do the job for us.

"I was a lot more content with the way we batted in the last innings.

"Fleming batted superbly. He's a better batsman than anything around in this match and he showed it. I just wish we had him for the next two games."