http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Auckland-c766 match evenly poised at close of day-two: Plunket Shield
The Plunket Shield match between Auckland and Canterbury was evenly poised after the end of the second day’s play. In reply to Canterbury’s first innings total of 334, the hosts reached 175 for the loss of four wickets, at Colin Maiden Park in Auckland on
Tuesday.
The wicket was very good for batting and there wasn’t much movement for the bowlers both off the seam and in the air. This allowed the visitors to post a decent first innings total after they were put into bat.
Shanan http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Todd-Astle-c2697 began the day for Canterbury. Both were unbeaten on 81 and 19 respectively and the total was at 298. However, Stewart failed to add too many runs to his overnight score, as he was sent back to the pavilion after scoring 90 runs.
He played well and deserved a century, but wasn’t able to focus as he did on the opening day.
Matthew Henry scored an unbeaten 12 runs to guide his team’s total to 334, before he ran out of partners at the other end. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Colin-de-Grandhomme-c51409 was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts, as he took four wickets in the innings. He got good support from Bruce
Martin, who grabbed three wickets.
The start to the Auckland innings wasn’t an ideal one, as they lost a couple of early wickets. Opener http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andrew-de-Boorder-c1036 were dismissed after adding just seven runs each to the total.
However, opening batsman Tim McIntosh and middle-order player http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Greg-Todd-c1510 played sensible cricket to guide their team out of trouble. They put together 76 runs for the third wicket and took their team’s total to 121.
McIntosh played brilliantly for his 71 runs. He struck six fours and one massive six in his innings. The stylish batsman would have liked to carry onto the start to his innings, but he failed to do so. Colin de Grandhomme looked good in the middle, but he
only managed to score 12 runs with the help of one four. His wicket brought the captain of the home team, Gareth Hopkins to the crease.
At the close of play both Todd and Hopkins were unbeaten on 42 and 18 respectively. They will look to take their score beyond the first innings total of Canterbury and bat only once in this match.
On the other hand, the visitors will be looking forward to picking up some quick wickets in the morning session of the third day’s play. Todd Astle was the pick of the bowlers for Canterbury, as he took two wickets out of the four that fell.
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