Nevin and Franklin star for Wellington
Chris Nevin and James Franklin make an odd couple – the former short, stocky and with a batting approach which mixes urgency and pugnacity; the other tall, more languid and more fluent, an easy shot-maker.Again, the former keeps wicket, bats left-handed and has added to his rounded first-class experience which affords local seniority a number of one-day appearances for New Zealand.The other is right-handed, bowls probing medium pace and is in the infancy of a career which holds great promise. He has opened the bowling and the batting for New Zealand Under-19s but is still finding his way in the domestic first-class game.However, the two found much in common today when, as comrades in arms – partners in defiance – they achieved complementary though dissimilar half centuries for Wellington against New South Wales on the second day of a two-day match at the Basin Reserve.Nevin was Wellington’s top-scorer with 83, Franklin made 63 and in company they added 141 for the fifth wicket in a stubborn partnership which spanned lunch and tea and made Wellington’s total broad-shouldered after it had slumped.There was little swagger in their batting, more cold purpose and application but with their added impetus Wellington reached 337-6 in their first innings, replying to New South Wales’ first-day total of 387. Both teams batted into the 100th over.Wellington found themselves unable to overhaul New South Wales’ total today – could neither keep continuous pace with the demands of that target nor replicate the late onslaught which so much enlarged the visitors’ innings in the last hour yesterday. The result could be counted in New South Wales’ favour on the first innings.But in Nevin’s effort and in Franklins’, in Matthew Bell’s solid 46 and Richard Jones’ quickly-compiled 40, in Matthew Walker’s accomplished 53 late in the innings and Mark Jefferson’s 37, Wellington found some solace and some satisfaction.The match was designed to give them a leg up into the Shell Trophy series which begins next week and there was enough in the batting form of the middle order, the bowling performances of Mark Gillespie and Jeetan Patel, to make it a success in that regard.Nevin and Franklin came together in the 32nd over today, shortly before lunch and at the termination of Bell’s fine innings when Wellington were 100-4. They saw them through lunch at 119-4, to 173 by the afternoon drinks break and to 225 at tea when Nevin was 77 and Franklin 52.Then, as so often happens with long partnerships in which two players become almost co-dependent, Franklin was out and Nevin followed shortly afterwards.Franklin was caught by spinner Matthew Higgs from his own bowling when Wellington were 241 and Nevin fell to the same bowler two overs and eight runs later, caught by Shane Lee at first slip.Franklin had batted 192 minutes and faced 168 balls, hitting nine fours and Nevin had batted 170 minutes, received 146 balls and peppered the boundary rope with 13 fours. The partnership had occupied a total of 162 minutes.Nevin was quicker to his half century. He reached that mark in 98 minutes from 88 balls while Franklin laboured 182 minutes and took 157 balls. Both 50s included eight boundaries.The combination provided, throughout the day, a study in differing styles. Franklin, uses his height well, gets over the ball in his preferred cut shot and uses his long legs in controlling his front foot shots to the off side.Nevin has the short man’s habit of jumping to counter bounce and his shots are arguably more deliberate and more brutal.Before their partnership Bell and Jones had added 74 for Wellington’s second wicket after Michael Blackmore had been out without scoring to the fifth ball of the day. There were hazards in the early part of Jones’ innings but he showed nerve, eventually commanding the bowling to take 40 runs from 56 balls with six fours.Bell applied himself for almost two hours before lunch, taking 46 from 90 balls before being stumped by Greg Mail from Higgs.Later, Walker and Jefferson joined in an unbeaten partnership of 88 runs for the seventh wicket – a stand occupying little more than an hour. Walker finished 53 not out and had to his name, from 77 balls, a total of 10 fours and one six. Jefferson hit four fours in his supportive role.Higgs was the most successful of the New South Wales bowlers, taking 3-69 from 20 overs.The teams meet again tomorrow in a day-night match at the WestpacTrust Stadium. Play begins at 2pm.