da poker： Otago had their foot firmly on the Auckland neck by the halfway mark oftheir Shell Trophy match at Eden Park today, and the home side willstruggle tosurvive the third day tomorrow
da aposte e ganhe： Don Cameron14-Dec-2000Otago had their foot firmly on the Auckland neck by the halfway mark oftheir Shell Trophy match at Eden Park today, and the home side willstruggle tosurvive the third day tomorrow.After another day of tight-fisted cricket Otago completed their firstinningsat 274, a first innings lead of 117, and ripped out both Aucklandopeners for 14 runsas the home side were pinned down for 13 overs before stumps.Otago will thus enter the third day tomorrow still 103 runs in credit,andmust hope that the pitch retains its life — and the Auckland suncontinues to shine –as they chase victory over the remainder of the match.Otago’s slow, solid innings was built round the valiant batsmanship ofChrisGaffaney, tragically out at 99 when pursuing his fifth first classcentury, and thenthe cool head of Paul Wiseman who scored 75 and put together aninvaluable 56-runstand for the last wicket with James McMillan, batting like a veteran inonly hissecond big match.It was another day of deliberate, often unconfident cricket — thepitch stillcould play tricks — and after 234 runs on the first day today producedonly 211runs.But the tense struggle and the character of the batting by Gaffaney,Wiseman and McMillan, cousin of the New Zealand batsman Craig McMillan,andthe dogged work of the Auckland bowlers and field made for a day ofabsorbingcricket.Gaffaney deserved the highest praise. By nature he is something of abattingcavalier, full of rich and sometimes rash strokes.In his 227-minute innings Gaffaney occasionally allowed himself theluxury ofthe cover-drives and square cuts which are his favourite strokes. Butmostly hededicated himself to keeping out the balls which threatened his stumps,andworking in partnership with his team-mates at the other end.He did allow himself the luxury of hitting 14 boundaries, mostly withthesuperb cover-drives and square cuts which are his trademarks. But therewere justas many bread-and-butter strokes, aimed to disarming the bowler-friendlypitchand at increasing the Aucklanders’ frustration.Gafaney was sixth out at 160, and Auckland at that stage could havehopedfor more quick success among the Otago tail, and the conceding of only asmall firstinnings deficit.Wiseman, with his 30-year-old experience and ability to work the ballintogaps, was the perfect man for Otago at that tricky stage of the game.Auckland didnot help themselves by dropping Karl O’Dowda when he was one and thetotal 187for seven.Wiseman and O’Dowda stuck together until the total was 218 for eight,andOtago were almost out of the woods.There was more trouble when David Sewell managed a five-ball duck, butthen along came McMillan to help Wiseman for the next 63 minutes as theydraggedthe initiative away from Auckland.Auckland are not yet out of the game, but they must bat the next threesessions tomorrow and the first session on Saturday if they want achance of gaininga victory, or denying Otago theirs.At the moment, the odds are heavily in favour of Otago.
