Central Districts take first grab at the lottery

Twenty-one wickets fell on the first day of the match between Central Districts and Auckland at Fitzhebert Park, Palmerston North.

A treacherous pitch is making a lottery of a game that could go a long way to deciding the outcome of the State Championship.

When Auckland began their second innings there was a real possibility that the match could be the first of first-class status anywhere in the world since 1960 to finish in a day.

With a combination of positive play and the slice of luck that is essential for survival here, Mark Richardson (38 not out) guided Auckland through the final 20 overs to finish the day on 59/1, needing 43 more to make CD bat again.

Upon winning the toss CD skipper Jacob Oram put the opposition in, just as Auckland captain Brooke Walker would have done had he called correctly.

Auckland coach Tony Sail told CricInfo that concerns about the state of the pitch made the decision inevitable.

"Both sides were going to put the opposition into bat on a dry pitch because they were worried about it. You were going to have a bowl because it was poor. Its an unstable surface, it looks like its got this year's grass growing over last year's thatch."

The result was a pitch with extravagant lateral movement and enough pace for the unstable bounce to provide threatening lift. All day, the unplayable delivery was potentially just a ball away.

Sail thought that, though the pitch could not be considered dangerous, it was not very far within the parameters of safety.

"Its a yard of pace short of being dangerous," he said. "It has been bad for the players' confidence."

Auckland were bowled out 15 minutes before lunch for 71, three less than their lowest-ever against CD, on this ground in 1952/53.

An inside edge onto the stumps by Richardson off the fourth ball of the innings started the forlorn procession to and from the changing rooms.

Left-armer Lance Hamilton caused most problems, bowling an intelligent length to finish with a career-best six for 36.

Six of the first eight wickets fell to catches in the arc behind square on the off-side. The CD fielding was outstanding, making the most of the opportunities offered by the conditions.

The best catch of all was the caught and bowled taken by Andrew Schwass to dismiss Andre Adams, who had predictably decided that aggressive batting was the answer. The ball spiralled through the air for an age, the howling wind that persisted all day changing its flight path a dozen times. Schwass waited until the last moment before diving full length to take the catch.

At 24/5 the CD reply appeared to be going following the same path as Auckland. Chris Drum with three wickets, and Gareth Shaw with two, wreaked havoc with the new ball, four wickets falling in four overs at one stage.

At this point Glen Sulzberger and Bevan Griggs came together to put on 57 for the sixth wicket, the best stand of the day and the most decisive factor in giving CD the advantage at its conclusion.

Sulzberger made 61 from 139 balls with six fours, an innings that in this context was worth 150. CD coach Dipak Patel attributed Sulzberger's success to playing straight.

"He was very positive with his shot making and his shot selection was excellent," he said.

Salt was rubbed into Auckland's wounds in the form of a partnership of 33 - the second-highest of the innings - between Schwass and Michael Mason for the tenth wicket. Schwass took 18 from a Shaw over, including two sixes over square leg, one of which almost cleared the grandstand. The first-innings lead was extended to 102.

Sail admitted that Auckland's back-up bowlers failed to build on the good work done with the new ball.

"We let it slip a bit. Andre [Adams] would be the first to admit that he didn't get line and length right. He was still bowling a one-day length and he struggled."

Adams finished with three for 44, but bought his wickets in a way that Auckland could not afford.

Sail told CricInfo that the Fitzherbert Park pitch was the most demanding of a series of poor surfaces that his team have played on this year.

"The standard of pitches throughout the country is bad. You keep it to yourself for a certain amount of time, but these guys are trying to do everything they can to show off their skills to the selectors as professional first-class cricketers and it's a tragedy," he said.

The four batsmen from whom the top three in the CLEAR Black Caps order in the forthcoming Test series will likely be selected - Richardson, Matt Horne, Mathew Sinclair and Lou Vincent - are playing here. As preparation for them, and as an aid to selection, it has been an entirely useless experience.

Consideration must be given for penalties for inadequate pitches in domestic cricket.