There might be a mine in the wicket, but no-one’s found one yet. But somehow Central went from 76-2 to 81-6 in less time than it takes to tell.

At the innings’ second drinks break, wicketkeeper Bevan Griggs (15) and Campbell Furlong (4) were embarking on an attempted recovery, but at 106-6 (32 overs) the end result looked like coming in Auckland’s favour.

The collapse started in rather laughable manner. Medium-pacer Craig Pryor came into the attack at 58-2 in the 18th over and was promptly hit for three boundaries by Jamie How from poor deliveries. But it must be said that two of those shots weren’t that convincing.

That might have enticed skipper Brooke Walker into giving him another chance. Pryor’s bowling didn’t improve but the result was dramatic.

How, who previously had battled for 39 balls for his first five runs, tried to pull one and Mills’ long arm reached up and plucked it down for 18.

Then Ryder, who had been impeccable, cut viciously at a short, wide one and Lou Vincent launched himself at gully for a superb catch. Ryder scored 39 in very mkature fashion, but made a mistake here and paid the price.

Then on the over’s last ball, Ian Sandbrook reached wide and edged to McIntosh. That was Sandbrook’s third duck in six innings – and he had been nought not out in one of the others.

Enter Sulzberger with Bevan Griggs at 81-5, and Sulzberger went second ball, pushing hard at Tama Canning and having Walker take a low catch. Central had lost four wickets for five runs for not the first time this season in the middle order.

With Griggs flirting with danger, Central eventually reached the 100, and Walker tried his legspinners when he rested Pryor. His interesting mixture of good balls and bad ones had netted 3-31 in five overs, while at the other end Tama Canning tied up the run flow almost totally..

And at this stage extras had 24 of the runs, the second highest score behind Ryder’s 39.

With Central one match away from getting their usual captain and international Jacob Oram back, it was left at the first drinks break to the youth of Central Districts cricket to thumb a nose at the Aucklanders. Central was 56-2, with Jesse Ryder on 36 and Jamie How on two after facing 26 balls.

Spearman had scored (258) some 40 more runs in the State Shield so far this season, but today wasn’t his day.

The Central captain played and missed at Kyle Mills’ very first delivery and lost his off-stump. Spearman’s nought as a thud to the heart for Central, and at 26 international Matthew Sinclair wafted wide at Mills and wicketkeeper Tim McIntosh had the catch.

So arguably Central’s two best batsmen were in the hutch and inexperienced youngsters Ryder and How were out in the middle facing Heath Davis and Mills still managing to seam the ball around.

Auckland quite clearly had set out to slow its productivity in an attempt to keep Central’s usual flying start under control, and didn’t quite manage to bowl 12 overs in the first hour of play - talk about the Indians being slow!

The impressive Ryder, all 18 years of him, replied to that by clipping Davis square for four and then pulling the next in front of square for another. That showed the calmness of this lad, who went into the 30s with another crunching square cut for four, a delicate late cut for another, and a single.

The final four allowed Central to reach the 50, in 81 balls. Davis was rested after seven overs, with one for 31. But his final two overs went for 19 as he tired.

Auckland ended with 198, mainly thanks to Horne’s 82 – and his innings was cut-off in his prime when he was starting to dictate to the Central Districts bowling.

Otherwise Auckland had to make do with a tidy 33 from Tim McIntosh, the other batsmen failing to go ahead from little starts.

Whether 198 is enough is doubtful. In fact with the speedy outfield and a wicket which has died down from early sideways movement and bounce, most suggest somewhere near 230-240 was a bare minimum.

But certainly Auckland’s bowlers will enjoy the extra bounce they will extract.

Auckland started poorly, losing four wickets for 50 before Horne and McIntosh added their 74.

The worst part of the Auckland effort was the “come-on,no, yes, hell I’m sorry incident between Horne and international Kyle Mills that ended with Horne out 152..

Mills cracked the ball behind point, Mathew Sinclair flung himself on it and returned to run Horne out by a country mile while the pair were debating in mid-pitch who should go to the danger end.

That ended Horne’s knock at 82, scored in 93 balls with 10 boundaries. He was just starting to launch at the Central bowling and it was in his hands whether Auckland scored what appeared to be necessary – at least 230 runs.

Sinclair had earlier run out Rob Nicol after a similar poor piece of running.

Mills needed to score some to make up for it, but after one thunderous boundary he edged Michael Mason to Griggs behind the stumps for 13.

Craig Pryor and Tama Canning failed to flatter, and skipper Brooke Walker and Heath Davis were left to try to play out the remaining five overs after the ninth wicket fell at 177.

They almost succeeded, taking the score to 198 before Sulzberger ended the innings with a catch at deep extra cover which removed Walker and probably rivaled the amazing catch by Wellington’s Maya Pasupati in last year’s Shield final.

Sulzberger was running hard to his left, dived and grabbed the ball in his left hand while in mid-air.

It was the sparkling standout of a mostly superb fielding effort which backed up good bowling from Lance Hamilton (3-37), Michael Mason (3-34) and Campbell Furlong (2-37).

Horne struggled early but never panicked, and when the second drinks break came he had reached 64 in a useful partnership of 74 with young Tim McIntosh (31). Auckland was 124-4 with 15 overs left.

Auckland suffered another loss in the first over after drinks., with an out-of-sorts Aaron Barnes nicking Furlong to Bevan Griggs for three, scored in 22 balls. That was 50 for four, and the 50 had taken 106 balls as the Aucklanders struggled against the pace and bounce of the Pukekura Park wicket.

But Horne had settled in, and young Tim McIntosh started to play an able ally by chipping the ball for singles and giving the senior man every chance.

Central tended to dawdles through the middle overs with a lot of off-spin and Hefford’s medium-pace, but it was a problem of their own making brought about by boosting the batting and leaving a bowler out.

So somehow captain Spearman had to get 20 overs out of his spinners on a wicket that wasn’t giving any help.

So Horne and McIntosh added 50 in 75 balls, Horne bringing up his 50 at the same time – a useful knock including six boundaries. At the same time McIntosh had 18 from 40.

Horne seemed to enjoy Glen Sulzberger’s off-spin and the former Taranaki man was starting to become expensive – in the context of the game at that stage. McIntosh appeared to relax in the calm exuded by Horne and started to play quite well, although surviving a very confident caught behind call from Hefford when on 27.

Llorne Howell and Matt Horne had a picnic against the Central Districts bowling on this Pukekura Park wicket just one year and three days ago, but it didn’t happen this time.

Last year’s centurymaker Howell started with a nice boundary, but in Lance Hamilton’s second over he edged to the one slip and Central skipper Craig Spearman took a lovely catch low down.

That wicket fell at three, and after a short stay at the wicket for Lou Vincent, Spearman completed an even better catch wide to his right to get rid of the New Zealand player. Vincent clubbed two boundaries in his short stay, but was defeated by a good one from Hamilton.

Vincent went at 27 and Auckland was in danger of messing up a good chance.

It was a good start from Hamilton and a deserved one. While he had bowled with accuracy and some effect in the competition so far, his two wickets had cost 74 runs a piece. This morning’s effort was a deserved catch-up.

He had a part to play in the fall of th third wicket as well, but only to catch Mathew Sinclair’s return from point to run out young Rob Nicol at 41. Horne’ attacking shot looked likely to go through, but Sinclair’s effort proved the killer for Nicol and allowed Central another wicket.

Nicol batted for 22 balls for just three.

He was replaced by Aaron Barnes, Auckland’s in-form batsman of the season so far outside of Howell. Horne was struggling for timing at the other end. Auckland, on a trueish wicket and fast outfield, was just 43-3 after the first 15 overs, with Hamilton having 2-22 from his eight overs.

Second-placed Central (16 points), should be leading the competition instead of sitting in the trail behind Wellington (18 points), after dominating the January 2 match against Otago through to the final stages and then inexplicably collapsing on a perfect Pukekura Park wicket to lose that day.

Central was 154 without loss in 17 overs, with the bonus point win seeming a certainty. Dismissed for 323 and a loser by 11, Central went into momentary decline in losing its next 24 wickets for 159 runs in that innings, the rain-interrrupted match with Auckland and then the thrashing at Canterbury.

Auckland, similarly, will not be lacking motivation. Ran deprived the Aucklanders of a seemingly certain first round win against Central, and being precariously placed on 11 points, losses cannot be contemplated.

Therefore its an interesting move to have Mark Richardson named 12th man and replaced by Tim McIntosh. The run-machine would have enjoyed a bat on this wicket. International Kyle Mills replaced the unfortunate (but still highly promising Gareth Shaw after the latter’s loss of direction in his past two matches.

Auckland captain Brooke Walker won the toss and decided to bat in sunny conditions.

Andrew Schwass was Central Districts’ 12th man.

Teams: Auckland: Brooke Walker, Llorne Howell, Tim McIntosh, Lou Vincent, Matt Horne, Rob Nichol, Aaron Barnes, Tama Canning, Craig Pryor, Heath Davis, Kyle Mills.

Central Districts: Craig Spearman (capt), Jesse Ryder, Mathew Sinclair, Glen Sulzberger, Ian Sandbrook, Jamie How, Bevan Griggs, Campbell Furlong, Andrew Schwass, Michael Mason, Lance Hamilton.

Umpires: Mike George, Ian Shine.