Bharat Popli scored a maiden century. Photosport

Aces hold onto top spot with draw — just

Posted Sunday, 20 December, 2015 in Match Reports

DAY FOUR

The Mondiale Auckland Aces held off the SKYCITY Northern Knights to end their round three Plunket Shield match in a draw, and a slender one-point grasp on top of the table.

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Cloudy skies hung overhead Eden Park Outer Oval as the Knights looked to build on their day three lead of 256 with four wickets in hand, the game poised interestingly.

Both batsmen were looking steady at the crease, Tim Seifert on 46 and Scott Kuggeleijn on 34. However, almost immediately after bringing up his 50, Seifert was caught at square leg by Robbie O’Donnell off the bowling of Colin Munro.

Hampton joined Kuggeleijn at the crease and the pair found good rhythm. Kuggeleijn continued to show resistance, scoring freely and eventually bringing up a half-century.

The Knights’ lead pushed to 300, still with no sign of a declaration. It was up to the Aces to bowl out their stubborn opponents, but they struggled to do so. The Northern declaration came soon after lunch, immediately after Kuggeleijn had reached his second first-class century.

Now the Aces had a target of 376 to win and two sessions to do so.

Michael Guptill-Bunce and Jeet Raval opened the batting and suffered an early setback, Raval caught for three by Corey Anderson.

Guptill-Bunce didn’t let that discourage his performance, though, and he bought up a half century. His innings came to an end at 92, off 80 balls, when he was caught by Hampton, the opener’s innings having included a whopping 17 boundaries. 

Munro was next to fall victim to the Northern attack, Anderson pouching another at first slip. Colin de Grandhomme didn’t last much longer, with the dangerous Ish Sodhi picking up his third wicket of the innings.

With 16 overs to go, Brad Cachopa and Donovan Grobbelaar were in the middle. Cachopa dominated the strike to guide the Aces safely to the draw. The experienced keeper-batsman, one of Auckland’s top run-scorers last season, brought up an impressive half-century. Grobbelaar also did his job well as he kept out Northern’s bowlers to hang in with Cachopa in the final session.

DAY THREE stumps score: SKYCITY Northern Knights 255/6 in second innings

An intriguing final day looms at Eden Park Outer Oval after the teams were almost even Stevens after the first innings.

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The Aces had replied to the Knights' 381 all out with 380 all out, captain Colin Munro's 86 (caught at slip off Brett Hampton) headlining for the home side on the third day before a team effort from the Knights' attack helped keep their hosts in check.

Scott Kuggeleijn bagged four, but he had been well assisted by seamer James Baker (3-86) and a mostly tidy 30 overs from leggie Ish Sodhi.

By stumps, the Knights' batsmen had then built a lead of 256 and, while they had just four wickets in hand, Tim Seifert (46*) and Kuggeleijn (34*) are both capable of charging for quick runs on the final morning.

Aces paceman Mitch McClenaghan had meanwhile backed up some fireworks with the bat (three sixes in his quick tailend 31, including a muscley hook off Kuggeleijn that went out onto Sandringham Road) with his more customary fireworks with the ball, having netted 4-56 off his 20 overs by stumps — including the entire top order in quick succession, taking out both openers to have the Knights with indigestion at lunch, 14/2, before adding Daryl Mitchell after the break.

But it was debutant Mark Chapman who had the biggest thrill with the ball in the afternoon. His maiden first-class wicket arrived in the form of first-innings centurion Bharat Popli, who had fended off McClenaghan admirably and built a stand of more than 100 with Corey Anderson. Chapman stopped him on 68, caught behind.

Anderson started with relative calm but caused plenty of trouble for the Aces' attack, booming the ball onto the concourse amid two sixes and nine boundaries in his 83. He pushed the Knights past 150 as he freed his arms, losing Nick Kelly but gaining an ally in Tim Seifert as they looked for big runs.

Anderson was bowled trying to launch into Jeet Raval for the second time in the 56th over, the sixth wicket falling on 183 before Seifert and Kuggeleijn worked the late afternoon shift well for a 256-run lead overnight.

DAY TWO stumps score: Mondiale Auckland Aces 312/5

The SKYCITY Northern Knights continued to rally early on day two, a maiden first-class half century from Brett Hampton helping add 80 for the eighth wicket, with maiden centurion Bharat Popli.

Hampton's robust support enabled the prolific Popli to carry to a fine 116 before Popli finally erred and offered an edge behind.

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Lockie Ferguson was the Aces' strikeman and he charged on to his second career five-wicket bag, claiming BLACKCAP Ish Sodhi as his last victim to wrap up the Knights' innings on 381.

So, the Knights had to be satisfied with three batting points from the innings, while the Aces took the maximum four bowling points from the kitty.

The Knights were soon into their accounting work with the ball, pace bowler Scott Kuggeleijn having the Aces 5/1 after trapping Michael Guptill-Bunce in the third over of the reply.

But by lunch, Jeet Raval and Robbie O'Donnell had settled things down to progress the Aces to 39/1, then dominated the middle session to get the Aces past 150 for no further loss. O'Donnell had notched his half century and the more aggressive Raval, moving to 89, had just broken out a six in the lead-up to tea when the 160-run partnership was suddenly shattered by Raval's wicket.

The loss of the form opener on 89 would be the first of two shockwaves as Jimmy Baker went on to a double wicket maiden, getting Colin de Grandhomme lbw for a duck to bookend the over: from 168/1 to 168/3 in the space of six balls.

Colin Munro got himself off the mark with a six off Sodhi in the last over before tea, and wasted little time in punching up a half century afterwards, posting the Aces' 200 en route with O'Donnell.

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He launched Hampton onto the concourse to move to 46, then brought up his 50 off 45 balls.

In the meantime O'Donnell had been stopped by Kuggeleijn on 73, while Brad Cachopa made way for Shawn Hicks as the Aces looked to chip down the lead to two figures. Munro ended the day unbeaten on 78 (84 balls), Hicks having rustled up a further 30 with the deficit pared to just 69 with five wickets in hand.

DAY ONE stumps score: SKYCITY Northern Knights 323/7

With some grass on the wicket and cloud overhead, fresh Mondiale Auckland Aces captain Colin Munro opted to send in the SKYCITY Northern Knights on a slightly delayed first day at Eden Park Outer Oval.

 

The early play from the Knights' batsmen started a theme that would continue for the rest of the day: steady, but with wickets falling just as a partnership was starting to blossom.

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Joe Carter was the first to go. He and Daniel Flynn had been looking solid for just over a 40-run partnership. The wicket saw Daryl Mitchell come to the crease and he Flynn looked to occupy and wear down the Auckland bowlers.

They were batting well together and took their side past the 100 mark. But, just as Flynn looked to move past 50, he was gone thanks to a bowling change, Shawn Hicks on debut getting him lbw for his first Plunket Shield wicket.

Flynn departing for 49 off 108 balls, Bharat Popli arrived at the crease on the ground where he had debuted last season. He would stay for the rest of the day as he worked his way to his first Plunket Shield century.

Popli provided stern resistance for his side from the moment that he arrived at the crease, to continue his fine run of form through the start of the Plunket Shield, brought to you by Budget Rental.

Popli had several partners come and go during the afternoon, however, while the Aces bowlers continued to challenge the batsmen throughout the afternoon.

Munro and Hicks picked up good breakthroughs through the middle order and with the Knights just short of 250, the new ball was taken and proved very fruitful for the pacey Lockie Ferguson.

His first ball produced a wicket when he removed keeper-batsman Tim Seifert for 24, thanks to a nice catch from Brad Cachopa behind the stumps.

Scott Kuggeleijn offered brief resistance, but Ferguson struck again with a sharp caught and bowled. Kuggeleijn had fended at the short-pitched ball and was hit on the glove, popping the ball up to an advancing Ferguson.

Popli seemed unperturbed and closed the day looking in excellent touch on 104. He'd been provided with excellent late support from Brett Hampton, who showed he can hold a bat to be unbeaten on 39 at stumps as they put together a 50-run partnership.

The Aces would have been hoping they could have extracted at least a couple more wickets prior to the close of play to get the better of the day.

Two chances had gone down through the slips in the second to last over before close, off Hicks. Hicks was joined on debut by Hong Kong international and Parnell player, Mark Chapman. The allrounder was also amongst the action, taking a sharp catch off Munro’s bowling.

Chapman and Hicks were presented with their caps prior to the start of play by Auckland selector and former BLACKCAP Mark Greatbatch.

 

 

Article courtesy of Auckland Cricket

 

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