Auck. slides

Press, 18 December 1976, Page 56

Auck. slides

PA Auckland; After a bright and breezy! •tart, which brought an opening stand of 138 by Jim Riley (78) and Austin Par- i sons <64), Auckland slid! slowly downard on the first! day of its Shell match 1 against Northern Districts at Biedisloe Park, Pukekohe. By stumps Auckland had reached only 241 for nine wickets. This was scant reward from a full day’s play, less 38 minutes lost to a shower in mid-afternoon, and in the last session Auckland struggled from 187 for three to 241 for nine. After a patchy start the Northern Districts attack stiffened up, in the second half of the day. Richard Collinge bowled with fire but

hnot much accuracy before! lunch but came back well in! -Ihis second and third spells! ,!to claim two wickets in each! burst; he finished with four for 76 from 20 overs. The! ! other Northern bowling was! I accurate and industrious but: ;]was rather flattered by the; i slow Auckland batting late: . in the day. When Hedley Howarth! continued Glenn Turner’s; !;run of lost tosses tjv calling .‘correctly Auckland had first ,|use of’ a puzzling fitch.] i which made the Riley-Par-; .Isons opening stand al] the! rmore meritorious. The new ! fiball bo.wlers,. Collings and! Alan Stimpson, could make tithe ball seam quite sharpiy, ci but the greatest problem i; came from the uneven - bounce — Coilinge made a '■couple lift nasrilv.