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Northern Districts celebrate - Source: Photosport -
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Northern Districts underlined why they lead the Plunket Shield cricket competition by dominating Auckland in Whangarei on Friday.
The home side were on top after the first day of the four-day fixture at Cobham Oval, reaching 36 for two at stumps after dismissing Auckland for 226 in their first innings.
Auckland had little to show for their decision to bat first as the Northern Districts bowlers hunted as a pack in the eighth round match to claim the first-day honours in emphatic style.
None of the Auckland batsmen prospered for long, the best of them being Reece Young, who topscored with a neat 50, but he was also responsible for the unnecessary run out of international opener Tim McIntosh.
ND v Auckland day one scoreboard
McIntosh was turned back seeking a second run and never made his ground, departing for 41, calmly accumulated over more than two hours as he set out his stall in preparation for the upcoming test series against Australia.
Colin de Grandhomme made 40 and Anaru Kitchen 32, otherwise Northern Districts were in total command as four of their bowlers picked up two wickets apiece.
Spinner Kane Williamson had figures of two for 11 after collecting some cheap lower order scalps while seamers Joseph Yovich and Brent Arnel took two for 37 and two for 46 respectively and left-arm slow bowler Bruce Martin took two for 44.
Northern Districts lost two wickets before the close, advancing their score to 36 off 18 overs for the cost of BJ Watling and Brad Wilson.
Nightwatchman Martin will resume tomorrow on one alongside Kane Williamson, who has yet to get off the mark.
Teens put Wellington back on top
It was the turn of two rawboned teenagers to expose Wellington's Plunket Shield shortcomings.
Central Districts seam bowlers Doug Bracewell, 19, and Adam Milne, 17, combined to roll Wellington for 250 on the opening day of their four-day fixture at McLean Park in Napier.
Bracewell's reward was career-best figures of five for 47, his first five-wicket bag at first-class level in his 10th match, while Milne, in his second game at this level, also impressed in taking four for 49.
Their opening batsmen then survived seven overs to stumps, with Jamie How and Brad Patton set to resume tomorrow on 13 and 10 respectively with Central Districts 25 without loss.
Palmerston North medium-fast bowler Milne showed he was not out of place by dismissing Cameron Merchant for 63, Michael Pollard for 31 and international Jeetan Patel for 26 as Central Districts backed up their captain Jamie How's decision to field first.
Having entering the eighth round match on the back of four successive heavy defeats, Wellington's shaky confidence was not helped by another faltering start as they lost both openers Matthew Bell and Stephen Murdoch inside six overs to livewire Bracewell.
CD v Wellington day one scoreboard
Neal Parlane then came and went cheaply to become Bracewell's third victim before Merchant set about repairing the damage.
He did that to a degree by batting for almost three hours before Milne induced a false stroke, then Luke Woodcock, Wellington's best batsman this summer, held up the home side's advance by making a patient, unbeaten 73 in 200 minutes.
He lacked support, though, because at the other end Bracewell continued to strike, dismissing Andrew Lamb and Ili Tugaga to snare his five-wicket haul.
Solid opening for Canterbury
A solid 134-run opening partnership between Rob Nicol and Michael Papps saw Canterbury through to a useful 218 for four after the first day of their Plunket Shield against Otago in Queenstown.
However, medium pacer Mathew Harvie swung the momentum slightly back Otago's way when he picked up a bonus wicket on the last ball of the day, Johann Myburgh dismissed for 33 after edging the ball through to wicketkeeper Derek de Boorder.
Nick Beard, who picked up career-best figures of six for 107 last week against Auckland, was again to the fore after Otago won the toss and elected to bowl in a rain-shortened match which didn't start until 1pm.
Otago v Canterbury day one scoreboard
In just his 10th first class match, the 20-year-old orthodox left-arm spinner finished with miserly figures of 1-38 off 23 overs, battling into a stiff southerly breeze for much of the day.
As an added bonus, Beard broke the ominous opening partnership between Nicol and Papps when he trapped Nicol in front for 42 as the 45th over drew to a close.
Three overs and two runs later, Sam Wells removed Papps in similar fashion, leaving Canterbury 136 for two at tea. Papps hit 11 fours in his 83, which came off 139 balls.
Beard also featured in Peter Fulton's dismissal when the Canterbury captain was on 25, taking a tricky catch in the swirling southerly a metre or so inside the square leg boundary.
Stumps were drawn with Myburgh's dismissal, leaving Dean Brownlie not out on 19.
