DAY FOUR
The Mondiale Auckland Aces have completed the first outright of the season, beating Canterbury by nine wickets.
The Auckland sun still refused to shine on the final morning of the match as both sides came to the ground with the game poised.
Canterbury had finished day three holding things together well, after a long day of 'batting time'. The experienced Andy Ellis sat on 35 and his young teammate Cameron Fletcher looked steady on 12.
Unfortunately for the defending champions, momentum rapidly turned in favour of the Aces. Matt Quinn was the first to strike, Fletcher caught by Guptill without adding to his overnight score.
Images © Photosport
Ellis would have been hoping to be able to occupy more time for his side and keep the Aces out, but Quinn had other ideas as he bowled him for 45 to further boost Auckland’s hopes.
Logan van Beek and Matt Henry looked to show more resistance, and were scoring freely — with Henry’s hitting ability on display; but another cracking ball from Quinn bowled van Beek on 10.
That saw Ronnie Hira return to the crease after having retired hurt on day three (when he had been struck on the helmet by a Mitchell McClenaghan short ball). Hira once again received some short stuff from McClenaghan. The peak of the exchange saw Hira duck one ball, and ramp the next for six, before McClenaghan removed his leg stump.
Henry, meanwhile, continued trying to launch into the ball.
Unfortunately for Canterbury, he tried one big shot too many and edged a McClenaghan ball to Cachopa to end the innings.
That left the Aces 155 to chase in order to secure a first-up win at home. Martin Guptill and Michael Guptill-Bunce faced a half-hour stint at the crease before lunch to start their chase, each looking comfortable from the outset as Guptill calmly made his way to 22, including several nice boundaries. His cousin easily ticked his way to eight before the break.
The pair brought up a 50-run partnership soon after lunch, six boundaries from Guptill and three from Guptill-Bunce bulking up the score.
The 15th over brought some drizzle, but the rain managed to hold off and Guptill reached 50 — after two sixes and a four in one Ellis over.
Several more boundaries gave Auckland some noticeable confidence as they drew closer to the target. However, just as the pair had started to gain some momentum, van Beek managed to draw an edge from Guptill-Bunce, Fletcher taking the catch behind the stumps for 37.
Robbie O’Donnell joined Guptill at the crease and started off with a bang, smashing a four first ball. Canterbury started to ramp up their work in the field as O’Donnell survived a close-call lbw and Guptill slipped over during a run. Yet despite those hurdles, the pair gained a steady rhythm, finding the gaps and knocking off the final runs.
One run shy of the target, Guptill sealed the win with class by smashing a boundary just as the second session was scheduled to end. The Aces’ total was pushed to 158/1, an outright win over the defending champs by nine wickets.
courtesy of AucklandCricket.co.nz
DAY THREE
Led by three wickets from Andy Ellis, a combined effort from the Canterbury attack had curtailed the Mondiale Auckland Aces’ first-innings lead to 167, but by stumps the defending champions were five down in reply. Their lead of just 97 will have the Aces champing at the bit on the final day tomorrow for an outright.
After having survived a tricky period to bat late on day two for the loss of just one wicket, Canterbury came to Eden Park Outer Oval on the third morning looking to dig in.
At the crease were opener Ronnie Hira and Ryan McCone, who had been installed as a nightwatchman following Tom Latham’s wicket. Both started the day looking solid, but Hira took a blow to the helmet from Mitch McClenaghan and had to retire hurt.
That saw young Leo Carter join McCone at the crease, but McCone would last just seven overs before he was undone by McClenaghan, too, edging it to Guptill. Canterbury captain Peter Fulton came to the crease no doubt keen to steady the ship for his side with Carter. But neither would the skipper remain for long, caught by O’Donnell off the bowling of Matt Quinn.
Carter was still looking solid at the other end, joined in the middle by fellow youngster Ken McClure.
The pair looked assured from the start of their partnership and looked to frustrate the Aces, McClure again showing good maturity on first-class debut.
The pair was looking steady as Carter moved to his third first-class fifty. His batting partner was nipping at his heels through the 40s, and they looked as they would be tough to break up. It took a briliiant piece of work by Robbie O’Donnell in the field to break the stand.
McClure had timed a ball nicely into the leg side, and O’Donnell had to chase hard to stop the ball on the boundary. The batsmen went for a third run on the throw, but the ball won, Grobbelaar whipping off the bails to the delight of his teammates.
That sent McClure back to the changing rooms, although in taking the first two runs he had (somewhat painfully) picked up his maiden first-class half-century.
Not long after the run out came the new ball, and despite constraining the batsmen with some tight bowling, neither McClenaghan and Quinn had luck with the new ball early on, Carter and Andy Ellis holding them out.
It wasn’t until nearly 15 overs into the new ball that the Aces could make a breakthrough. A nice ball angling back in from Bates ended Carter’s day for 79 just short of his highest first-class score. Andrew Ellis was then joined at the crease by Cameron Fletcher, and the pair looked to further elongate Auckland’s day in the field.
Ellis started slowly, but looked to pick up his innings late in the afternoon; striking several forceful boundaries as Canterbury slowly grew a lead.
Fletcher took his time getting going, but found his feet and started to tick over his score, including an impressive pull shot off the bowling of McClenaghan. The Canterbury duo was looking hard to budge, but the Aces will no doubt fancy their chances trying chip out some wickets early in tomorrow’s play. Canterbury finished the day at 264/5.
courtesy of AucklandCricket.co.nz
DAY TWO
A colder and grey morning greeted players on arrival at Eden Park Outer Oval for the start of day two. The cool breeze and little sunlight meant the long-sleeve jumper was the order of the day.
Mondiale Auckland Aces Rob Nicol and Colin de Grandhomme resumed looking comfortable at the crease, de Grandhomme in particular striking some excellent boundaries as he looked to advance his score from his first day 53.
He moved quickly to 70, but just after his milestone came unstuck to a good ball from Ryan McCone, caught behind.
Nicol was joined at the crease by Brad Cachopa, the keeper-batsman one of the side’s leading run-scorers last season and, from the outset, he looked eager to pick up from where he left off, while Nicol continued to look to occupy.
Dangerous backstop Brad Cachopa
Canterbury kept searching for a wicket, applying pressure through tight bowling from Henry and new spinner Theo van Woerkom. However, Nicol and Cachopa were looking up to the challenge, and Cachopa overtook his skipper in the 30s. He continued to look good up until the lunch break, keeping Canterbury’s tight lines at bay and taking his side past Canterbury’s 149.
The period of play immediately following lunch saw momentum swing between the sides. Cachopa brought up his half century with a nicely played pull to the boundary and also lifted the Aces' score to 200. However, after showing so much control during his stay, Nicol feathered one to Peter Fulton at first slip from Henry’s bowling to go for 33 from 177, in what could prove to be a very important stay at the crease.
Canterbury's Matt Henry
Cachopa’s positive intent continued as he moved quickly to 61 before falling to the tireless Ryan McCone, lbw.
At the other end, Donovan Grobbelaar had been looking solid after an unlucky first day with the ball. Joined by Tarun Nethula, the pair looked to get their side through a potentially rocky period as Canterbury tried to capitalise on the fall of a couple of wickets.
Nethula and Bates duck and weave
The pressure tolled and, looking to cut, Grobbelaar picked out the man at point off the bowling of the experienced Andrew Ellis, gone for seven. Nethula was then joined by his old mate Michael Bates. Bates was coming off excellent club batting form for Suburbs New Lynn this past weekend and looked comfortable at the crease despite some stiff legs and a slight limp.
Both batsmen were eager to play their shots, hitting boundaries as they made their way to a 50-partnership in fine form. After bringing up that mark, Bates looked to ramp things up, trying to loft Ronnie Hira down the ground. He didn’t quite get enough on it; caught on the long on boundary by Leo Carter for 33.
McClenaghan was next in and quickly fell to a similar fate trying to loft the first ring of fielders on his second ball only to be caught for no score.
Nethula, on 41 at the other end, was then joined by Matt Quinn as the lead inched towards 150. After some early shakes, Quinn got off the mark with a four through slips. He started to find his feet and, with his next boundary, took his score to 10, the side’s score to 300 and the lead to over 150. Both looked comfortable at the crease, but Quinn tried one too many shots and was caught behind off Ellis, bringing the Mondiale Aces’ innings to a close with a lead of 167.
The Canterbury openers would have to face a potentially awkward spell before the close of play. Tom Latham looked at ease early on, taking three boundaries in the first two overs. Hira took a couple of overs to get settled, but also found the boundary to get underway. The pair looked settled and prompted a double change by Rob Nicol after eight overs.
Grobbelaar and Nethula forced the batsmen to adjust. Grobbelaar had a tricky first over finding his line, but in the second to last over of the day he struck with a lovely inswinger to take the prized wicket of solid-looking Latham on 21: a wicket maiden. That left Nethula to apply pressure at the other end in the final over of the day. He did just that, bowling a maiden that included one chance that fell short of slip.
The day finished with Canterbury 129 behind, Ryan McCone in with Hira as a nightwatchman.
courtesy of AucklandCricket.co.nz
DAY ONE
A fiery spell that pitted BLACKCAP Mitch McClenaghan against a determined Canterbury debutant trying to rescue his team from early ruin was the highlight of a brisk opening day at Eden Park Outer Oval.
Working in tandem with Matt Quinn, who was fresh from performances for New Zealand A, McClenaghan’s spree began when he got trapped opener Tom Latham, leaving the fellow BLACKCAP fuming at himself after a stylish 18.
First change Michael Bates soon followed through with the wickets of Ronnie Hira and Peter Fulton before they had got a chance to set up camp; legspinner Tarun Nethula removed first drop Leo Carter; then McClenaghan burst back to get rid of key man Andy Ellis, caught at slip just before lunch.
At 71/5, the defending champions’ first foray into the season well and truly wobbled — and their position worsened when keeper Cameron Fletcher was next to depart; to a class legside snare by his opposite number Brad Cachopa.
Fielding highlights from both teams would impress spectators on a sunny, if breezy, October day, however Canterbury had not planned to put theirs on display quite so early after having been sent by Aces captain Rob Nicol.
BLACKCAP Matt Henry racked up a lively 35 off 26 balls, lofting a six over long on, to Nethula’s chagrin, on his way to a 50-stand with Ken McClure.
Debutant Ken McClure. Images © Photosport
McClure was one of two Canterbury debutants on display and the imposing McClenaghan, who had taken 3-11 in four overs and looked all on for a five-wicket bag, relished his one-on-one contest with the compact Canterbury newbie. But McClure weathered the short missiles well for his ultimate maiden knock of 38 while Henry clubbed away at the other end.
Lanky Quinn’s nagging work as foil to McClenaghan was rewarded when Henry pushed his luck once too often to sky Nethula just before afternoon drinks. He added Ryan McCone in a late flurry, McCone falling to an oustanding Rob Nicol dive at slip as three wickets in four overs sent Canterbury spiralling.
Matt Quinn carried on his New Zealand A form
Canterbury debutant number two, Theo van Woerkom, joined the patient McClure: van Workeom would walk back in unbeaten in 10 balls after Quinn wrapped up his third in McClure to leave Canterbury all out for 149 in 48.1 overs.
Synchronised cousins ready to open the Aces' account
In reply Martin Guptill walked out to open the Mondiale Auckland Aces’ batting with his cousin Michael Guptill-Bunce, but their pairing was shortlived.
Guptill had looked in handsome touch, showing off some punishing drives before Ellis stopped him lbw on 32 — opening the way for Colin de Grandhomme to dominate late proceedings with a half-century and 50 partnership with his captain Nicol.
De Grandhomme pumped van Woerkom for back to back sixes en route to his milestone and at stumps, the Aces were in a good position to kick on at 112/3. 
