Competition stragglers the Auckland Aces and Wellington Firebirds seem determined to force an outright result in their rain-affected Plunket Shield four-day cricket match.
A whopping 17 wickets fell for 290 runs on the third day at Colin Maiden Park in Auckland today, the upshot being that Wellington head into the final day with a 245-run lead and two wickets remaining in their second innings.
More than a day's play in total has been lost through rain but wickets are tumbling at every turn so the match is well advanced and both teams will fancy their chances of making up ground on the leaders with an outright victory tomorrow.
Given how much ball is dominating bat, Wellington can probably lay claim to the favourites tag, but they blew an opportunity to put Auckland to the sword today.
The visitors resumed their first innings at 257 for nine this morning and were all out soon after for 258, then their pace attack skittled bottom-placed Auckland's top-order and the hosts declared their first innings at 151 for eight, 107 runs in arrears.
Mark Gillespie, Andy McKay and Malaesaili Tugaga each took two wickets as Wellington moved into a dominant position from which they should have been able to dictate the rest of the match.
Their batsmen again struggled, however, and it was the Martin show in the afternoon.
New Zealand test pace bowler Chris Martin, who ended the first innings with five for 47, snared three for 40 while left-arm spinner Bruce Martin took four for 41, including two stumpings from wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins, as Wellington plummeted to 138 for eight in their second dig, a lead of 245.
After yesterday was washed out, play finally restarted in the match between Canterbury and Otago at Rangiora today, although only 39.1 overs were possible after rain delayed the start and bad light brought a premature end to the day's proceedings.
Otago resumed at 69 for four in their first innings and moved through to 153 for six, captain Craig Cumming continuing his fine summer with the bat and ending the day unbeaten on 84.
Just 8.2 overs have been bowled in the first three days of the match between competition leaders Central Districts and Northern Districts at McLean Park in Napier after rain today scuppered any chance of play for a second successive day. Northern Districts are 21 for one.
NZPA
