Sparrow and Otago left limp

Press, 28 December 1988, Page 44

Sparrow and Otago left limp

PA Auckland A sparrow killed by a shot from Richard Reid provided the best imagery in Auckland’s impressive Shell Cup cricket win over Otago yesterday. Otago was left almost as limp as the sparrow after the Auckland bowlers made the best of a pitch which offered variable bounce.

It made only 122 for nine in 50 overs and Reid provided the coup-de-grace to Otago and the sparrow as he crashed 59 highly entertaining runs off 52 balls to take Auckland to a six-wicket win.

The sparrow, which had been foraging for food deep at mid-wicket before Reid played a blazing pull shot at a ball from the Otago bowler John Wilson, died on the spot. Otago followed soon after. But Reid was not the only difference between

the teams. Auckland was also impressive in the field.

All its bowlers were accurate and probing, and got more out of the pitch than the Otago bowlers, except for the left-armer Peter Hills.

Danny Morrison kept the opening batsmen quiet with his accuracy as well as unleashing a thunderbolt or two to remind everyone of his untapped pace.

At the other end Stu Gillespie continued his early season form by bowling in a miserly fashion.

Otago was seven for one after seven overs and, when Dipak Patel brilliantly ran Burns out, it had scored just 16 runs off 10 overs and had lost two wickets.

Morrison and Gillespie were replaced by Martin Snedden and Willie Watson, who were just as bothersome.

Snedden's first victim was Bruce Blair who is a talented one-day player. Blair whipped a Snedden delivery through midwicket, but Patel launched himself to the left and took an outstanding catch at grasstop level.

He deservedly won the fielding award for the day after also running out Burns and Wilson with

stump-shattering throws that beat their attempts to run quick singles. Rutherford top-scored with 29 for Otago. He played some good strokes and skilfully defended one or two awkward deliveries that leaped off a good length. For Auckland. Reid and his opening partner, Phil Horne, put on 48 off the first 10 overs, Reid making Wilson’s life a misery as he made the pitch look like a featherbed. However, Hills caused a minor crisis in Auckland ranks when he bowled the captain, Jeff Crowe, for a duck and then trapped Patel leg before within 10 runs of running out Horne.

When Reid departed, bowled by Vaughan Johnson, Auckland was 93 for four.

It was left to Pringle and Bracewell to lead Auckland home to a comfortable win.

OTAGO K. Burns run out 7 P. Dodds c Reid b Gillespie 2 K. Rutherford st Kelly b Bracewell 29 B. Blair c Patel b Snedden . 18 R. Hoskin c and b Snedden 18 P. Hills lbw b Bracewell . 4 D. Walker c Snedden b Watson 15 S. McCullum lbw b Snedden 8 N. Mallender not out. . . . 8 J. Wilson run out 0 V. Johnson not out 6 Extras (lb2, nbl, w4). ... 7 Total (for 9 wkts) 122 Fall: 7, 16, 52, 60, 68, 97, 106, 109, 109. Bowling.—D. Morrison 7,1, 18, 0 (nbl, w2); S. Gillespie 10, 3, 15, 1; M. Snedden 10, 2, 25, 3; J. Bracewell 10, 0, 27, 2 (w2); D. Patel 6,0, 22, 0; W. Watson 7,2, 13, 1. AUCKLAND R. Reid b Johnson 59 P. Horne run out 19 J. Crowe b Hills 0 D. Patel lbw b Hills .... 4 M. Pringle not out 15 J. Bracewell not out .... 19 Extras (Ibl, nbl, w5). ... 7 Total (for 4 wkts) 123 Fall: 57, 63, 67, 93. Bowling.—N. Mallender 5,0, 24, 0 (nbl, w2); J. Wilson 7,0, 42, 0 (wl); P. Hills 6,0, 25, 2 (wl); V. Johnson 5,0, 19, 1; K. Rutherford 10, 0, 12, 0 (wl).