Navin Patel puts Stags on front foot in Napier

Stags paceman Navin Patel took his third five-wicket bag to give Central Districts the upper hand over Auckland in the Plunket Shield.

After two days of the match at Mclean Park in Napier, CD were 63-1 after Auckland scored 200-9 declared yesterday, so CD were 135 runs behind.

Patel took 5-71 from 19 overs, his equal best bowling figures to make sure Auckland were unable to post a big total.

Only 15 overs were bowled on Wednesday because of morning rain, then fog late in the day, but a full day’s play was able to take place yesterday.

Auckland resumed at 57-3 with Colin Munro on 24 and Rob Nicol on 5 and they added 78 for the fourth wicket before Munro was out for 52 from 37 balls, hitting three sixes and four fours.

There wasn’t much resistance from the rest of Auckland’s batting lineup as the CD seamers ripped through them.

Patel, who took two wickets on the first day, got rid of Munro and Nicol, then got the last wicket to fall, Tarun Nethula, before the declaration.

Nethula gave the score some respectability by scoring 30 and adding 41 runs for the ninth wicket with Donovan Grobbelaar, who made 18 not out.

Blair Tickner and Liam Dudding grabbed two wickets each for CD.

In reply CD batted for 27 overs and only lost one wicket by the close of play.

Greg Hay was out for 23, having put on 47 for the first wicket with Ben Smith, who was unbeaten on 25 at stumps.

George Worker was the other not out batsman on 13.

Sean Solia got rid of Hay during a wicket maiden.