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Press, 15 January 1982, Page 3

Akld sequence ends

PA Auckland John Wright scored his second century of the match to steer Northern Districts to a fivewicket win in the Shell Trophy match against Auckland at Eden Park yesterday. Auckland's captain. John Reid closed his second innings at 367 for five yesterday afternoon, leaving Northern 282 to score for victory With perhaps 50 overs to be bowled in what remained of the day's play. Northern needed a scoring rate a shade under six an over. Yet Northern was home in under three hours, with four overs and five balls to spare, with the last 30 runs required only al a jog-trot. Northern lost Mike Wright for nine with the score at 14 and John Wright was joined by Geoff

Howarth. Howarth later said his first thought was that a win was not possible. But he did not show any pessimism in his stroke play, and by tea he and Wright had taken Northern to 73 for one from only 11 overs. Sixteen minutes after tea. with the score at 109. Howarth has bowled for 41 after trying to cut Bill Fowler from his stumps. His partnership with Wright had netted 99 runs in 44 minutes. Barry Cooper came to the crease and with Wright continued to slam into the Auckland bowling Wright reached his century in 112 minutes but fell shortly after, lbw to Martin Snedden for 109. with the Northern score on 208. Lance Cairns, in typical bighitting style, continued to score runs for Northern, reaching 29 off 16 balls. He knocked one six into the No. 3 stand and another

over long-on Cooper and Cairns had added 42 in 19 minutes and Northern, needing 32 from 12 overs, were able to relax. Unfortunately. Cooper did not last, after 56 from 64 bails, and it was left to John Parker and Andy Roberts to fossick among the beleaguered Auckland bowlers and bring the win. "Promoting Lance Cairns to No. 5 was a bit of a gamble. He might have got nought, and that would have put the later batsmen under pressure. However. Lance got a very fast 29. and that tipped the match our way." Howarth said later. Northern's win also ended the record-breaking Auckland series of matches without defeat. Before yesterday Auckland was undefeated in 23 matches, breaking the old record also set by Auckland in 1934-44.