DAY FOUR
With just three rounds left, the unbeaten Mondiale Auckland Aces remain on top in the Plunket Shield, brought to you by Budget Rental, after taking a well fought win by 47 runs late on the final day at Eden Park Outer Oval.
The crunch final day had begun with a very different picture to the sunshine, still, clear skies and dust devils scooting across the outfield on day three. A thick band of grey cloud parked itself over the Outer Oval, and watered it through the morning.
That lengthy rain delay and the defiant Devon Hotel Central Stags batting both threatened to spoil the Aces' chances of an outright victory, however, a terrific team bowling and fielding effort — led by a five-wicket bag from Tarun Nethula — clinched victory in the final session.
Things eventually got underway after lunch as the Aces went searching for the 10 wickets they needed to clinch victory, with Nethula set to take a starring role and become the second spinner in the match to claim a maiden match analysis of 10 or more.
Stags spinner Ajaz Patel had already claimed 11 for the match on day three. NZC
But it was Colin de Grandhomme who provided an early breakthrough for his side, able to make the most of the conditions to send Greg Hay back to the sheds.
The period following the wicket proved frustrating for the Aucklanders as they sought to extract further wickets. However, after starting to look settled, George Worker wasn’t able to resist a short delivery from Lockie Ferguson and de Grandhomme took an excellent high catch to get rid of the second Central opener.
Just like in the first innings, Will Young’s arrival at the crease proved a testing time for the Aces: the Stags skipper once again proved a steadying hand for his side.
Young lost Mitch Renwick as a partner early, but then developed well with Tom Bruce. Bruce, however, couldn’t hang on with his skipper and was Nethula’s first victim of the innings.
Listen to 11-wicket hero Tarun Nethula on the match below
Bruce’s departure saw the equally dangerous Dane Cleaver arrive at the crease. Cleaver combined with Young to form a frustrating partnership for the visitors.
Dane Cleaver
Cleaver and Young soon looked settled and were able to add over 100 before Donovan Grobbelaar claimed the scalp of Cleaver in a much needed breakthrough.
Not long after Cleaver’s wicket, Young was able to reach 50 after a very important stay at the crease for his side.
But Nethula claimed another key wicket as he drew a loose shot from Young and a solid catch from Brett Randell.
That left the injured Ben Smith to attempt to drag his Stags to the close.
Usual opener Smith, who had been parked on the sidleine with a shoulder injury, was supplied with solid support from Ajaz Patel in a period that troubled the Aces.
However, after managing to survive 20 balls, Patel fell victim to a charging Nethula, a bevy of close-in fielders set by Michael Bates helping him exact maximum pressure on the visitors.
Smith and Navin Patel were able to further frustrate the Aces, Matt Quinn having some tough luck with a tricky caught and bowled to add further tension.
However. Quinn was ultimately able to respond by sending Navin Patel packing at a crucial time, swinging the momentum well and truly back in the home side’s favour.
Nethula turned the screws on the Stags with the quick wicket of Kurt Richards. The wicket was Nethula’s 10th for match and sparked a strong show of emotion from the seasoned leggie as he enjoyed the milestone for the first time.
It was fitting that, after a brief spell of resistance from Blair Tickner, Nethula claimed the final wicket and his 11th for the match to spark wild celebrations from the Aces.
The win sees them maintain their unbeaten tag into the eighth round, and extend their lead over Canterbury and the Wellington Firebirds at the top of the Plunket Shield table.
The valiant Ben Smith was left stranded on an unbeaten half century.
DAY THREE
Stumps score: Mondiale Auckland Aces 425/6 second innings (Michael Guptill-Bunce 57, Jeet Raval 139, Robbie O'Donnell 100, Colin de Grandhomme 69; Ajaz Patel 5-148) to lead by 382 heading into day four. Earlier: Devon Hotel Central Stags 416 all out (Dane Cleaver 62; Tarun Nethula 6-132) on 10 March 2016 at Eden Park Outer Oval
A flurry of early wickets, and tons to Jeet Raval and Robbie O’Donnell (above), helped the Mondiale Auckland Aces get into a strong position at the close of the third day. Raval and O’Donnell weren’t the only Aces to star with the bat, however, Michael Guptill-Bunce and Colin de Grandhomme both going past 50 at either end of "moving day".
Listen to Jeet Raval on his 13th first-class century and the state of the match below
The Stags had entered the day at 404/6 and looked set to build a decent lead. But after Navin Patel lost his wicket from the first ball of the day, things slid south rapidly for the visitors.
Patel’s wicket was Tarun Nethula’s fifth for the innings and it wasn’t long until he had six, finding another edge to dismiss Kurt Richards. Lockie Ferguson then picked up his first and second wicket of the innings in quick succession to have the Stags abruptly all out for 416, with a lead of just 43.
Coming out with enough time to get settled before lunch, the Aces pair of Jeet Raval and Michael Guptill-Bunce showed positive intent early.
Guptill-Bunce took two boundaries from the first over of the innings to get things going quickly. He was outscoring his opening partner early on, but it wasn't long until Raval came to life and raced past Guptill-Bunce in terms of boundaries count.
Still, it was the powerful Guptill-Bunce got to his 50 first, continuing what has been an impressive match after his maiden hundred in the first innings.
The pair’s hundred-run partnership came up just before lunch, but straight after the break the Stags struck back and had Gutpill-Bunce heading to the sheds without adding to his score of 57.
Raval quickly went past 50 after the wicket, and with Robbie O’Donnell began to lay the foundations of an impressive partnership through the middle of the day.
The pair eased through the milestones, offering few glimmers of hope for the Central bowlers. They knocked off a 50-run stand, a 100-run stand and then Raval moved to his second hundred in as many games.
The milestone was his 13th in first-class cricket, and his third of the summer after his New Zealand A performance against Sri Lanka at the dawn of the season.
Soon O’Donnell was past his own half-century; the duo then went to tea at 225/1: 182 runs ahead. Following the break, they pushed on past a 150-run partnership.
Raval was eventually dismissed thanks to a sharp catch from Mitch Renwick off Ajaz Patel’s bowling for 139, but O’Donnell kept forging ahead well to his second first-class century, and second this season, with the very able support of Colin de Grandhomme.
The youngster couldn’t hang on after making his ton from 135 balls, dismissed just two balls later.
Brad Cachopa looked to move things along after arriving at the crease, but came unstuck to Ajaz Patel who has been putting in a huge amount of work for the Stags across the match.
Ajaz Patel took his first bag of 10 in a match. NZC
Following Cachopa’s wicket, de Grandhomme motored to his fourth consecutive fifty in Plunket Shield cricket.
This one came off just 43 balls and in 47 minutes as he kept charging the attack. The big man and his junior disciple Shawn Hicks looked to be building a tidy partnership as they put on 50 for the fifth wicket, however de Grandhomme couldn’t hang around and was out for 69 trying to send Patel over the top.
De Grandhomme was Patel’s fifth wicket for the innings and 11th for the match in a continuation of some rich recent form. Donovan Grobbelaar then joined the steady Hicks at the crease, but wasn’t able to see out the day as he fell to George Worker for seven. Hicks and Tarun Nethula closed the day to see the Aces to 425/6 a lead of 382.
DAY TWO
Stumps score: Devon Hotel Central Stags 404/6 (Greg Hay 45, Mitch Renwick 71 (maiden half century), Will Young 85, Tom Bruce 80, Dane Cleaver 61 not out; Tarun Nethula 4-127) lead the Mondiale Auckland Aces by 31 runs with four wickets in hand at Eden Park Outer Oval, 9 March 2016
Dangerous as ever, the wicket of Tom Bruce was late solace for the Mondiale Auckland Aces in a day of toil in the field at Eden Park Outer Oval.
Bruce lost his wicket on 80 just after the Devon Hotel Central Stags had moved past the first innings score set by the Aces in the 103rd over of the innings.
Earlier in the day, the Aces' attack looked to put pressure on the Stags with a tight display of bowling.
However, thanks to a combination of resolute batting and luck, Central was able to build well early through Greg Hay and Mitch Renwick, who made his first run in first-class cricket, and then his maiden half century, after having been scoreless in his Plunket Shield debut in Napier. The pair put on 97 for the second wicket.
Luck? Chances went wide of fielders and to ground as the Aces hunted for their second breakthrough. It wasn’t until Tarun Nethula was able to coax a return catch from Hay that they got some payoff for their efforts.
However, Hay’s wicket meant little relief as Stags captain Will Young arrived at the crease and immediately showed his class.
All class: captain Will Young
Young was able to build with Renwick and then George Worker as the Stags scored at a solid rate.
Young ticked things over post lunch before exploding with a flurry of boundaries; then settling down again and going past his half-century prior to tea, off 84 balls.
Tom Bruce
Young and the stylish Tom Bruce formed a very steady partnership to frustrate the Aces. It wasn’t until Matt Quinn was able to find Young’s edge, and Michael Guptill-Bunce was able to hold a catch that flew to him rapidly at gully, that the home side had some fortune.
Bruce and the quick-scoring Dane Cleaver then continued to frustrate the Auckland attack, Cleaver in particular showing off some very clean hitting down the ground.
After Bruce fell, he and Navin Patel were able to guide their side past 400: a good day's work for the Stags.
DAY ONE
Stumps score: Devon Hotel Central Stags 54/1. Earlier: Mondiale Auckland Aces 373 all out (Michael Guptill-Bunce maiden 112, Shawn Hicks 43, Colin de Grandhomme 55, Donovan Grobbelaar 63; Ajaz Patel 6-117) at Eden Park Outer Oval, 8 March 2016
A poignant resumption of the Plunket Shield today saw all six teams across the country, from Auckland to Invercargill, observing a minute's silence and donning black armbands in memory of Martin Crowe. At a warm Eden Park, the battle was between two of Crowe's former first-class teams (he also played for Wellington) where Stags captain Will Young put unbeaten competition leaders the Mondiale Auckland Aces in on a green pitch.
Despite losing the toss, the Aces will walk away from day one of their Plunket Shield encounter with the Devon Hotel Central Stags feeling they made the best of the day.
A maiden first-class century for Michael Guptill-Bunce led the way as they reached 373, then a late strike from the returning Matt Quinn gave the home side a good boost before the close of play.
The deck had certainly looked like it could pose some problems for batsmen.
With plenty of rain around Auckland in the last week, there was a decent grass cover across the pitch. However, from the outset Guptill-Bunce and Jeet Raval were able to find their feet, and the boundary, disrupting Central’s plans.
Showing good awareness in running the length of the wicket to take a ballooning chance after Raval had nicked into his pad, it took a spectacular caught and bowled from seamer Navin Patel to remove Guptill-Bunce's partner on 21, just short of a 50 partnership for the pair.
Raval’s wicket didn’t stop Guptill-Bunce continuing in his signature free-scoring pace as he peppered boundaries around the dial. He built a 50-run partnership with Robbie O’Donnell as he reached his half-century, then with Hicks.
Guptill-Bunce clearly enjoyed the lunch break as he returned to the middle in fine form. He regularly found the boundary, and built well with Hicks who was finding his feet in the number four role.
Seemingly in no time Guptill-Bunce had made his way to 90. At that mark, a few nerves set in around the ground as the talented opener had until today come unstuck nearing the hundred milestone at this level.
However, that wasn’t the case today. In three consecutive balls he went boundary, boundary and then two to reach the maiden ton.
Guptill-Bunce brings up his maiden first-class century! #plunketshield #fridge ^BM pic.twitter.com/JpU6vRRfEI
— Auckland Cricket (@aucklandcricket) March 8, 2016
The milestone met with a strong reception from the Auckland tent. He was able to cleave 12 more runs before he came unstuck to Ajaz Patel, who proved a handful for several Aces players en route to his second bag of six in the space of three games this year.
Listen to Michael Guptill-Bunce on the his first century and the day below
Guptill-Bunce’s wicket saw Hicks and Brad Cachopa united at the crease. The pair looked to hold things together for a spell but went back to the sheds in the space of three overs, Cachopa for 17 and Hicks for a very composed 43.
Colin de Grandhomme meanwhile got a start as he worked boundaries and singles to build a solid platform. With Donovan Grobbelaar at the crease with him, he took to Ajaz Patel' one over in particular seeing the ball travel to Sandringham Road as well as into the bushes at the Northern end of the ground.
Having been one boundary away from the mark at tea, "Dutchy" went past his 50 in just 33 balls to make it three first-class half centuries in a row for the big man; and then a short while later he and Grobbelaar had their 50-run stand.
Stags pace man Kurt Richards
After de Grandhomme’s departure, Grobbelaar was able to help the tail wag and push his side to a very competitive first day total, and himself past 50.
Handy cameos from captain Michael Bates and Matthew Quinn helped along the way en route to the final first innings tally of 373. Grobbelaar had mirrored de Grandhomme’s assault on Ajaz Patel as he put the spinner on the road and into the bushes during the course of one over.
Late in the day it looked like Stags openers Ben Smith and Greg Hay might be enjoying the conditions as runs flowed off the bat; and a couple of chances fell wide of fielders.
However, Quinn was able to provide the breakthrough the home side was after; Smith falling over his front foot to be trapped lbw.
Hay and Mitch Renwick were then able to keep the Auckland attack out and take their side to the close at 54/1. Lockie Ferguson and de Grandhomme in particular looked threatening for the Aces as they closed the day out.
Report courtesy of Auckland Cricket
