Central's Plunket hopes hanging by a thread

The batting deeds of two Auckland veterans has left Central Districts' Plunket Shield cricket hopes hanging by a bare thread at the halfway point of their match in Auckland.

Centuries to Richard Jones and Gareth Hopkins lifted the hosts to first innings points at Colin Maiden Park and they extended their lead to 78 runs by stumps on day two with six wickets in hand.

Central are the only team who can prevent leaders Northern Districts from winning the first class championship but they need outright wins in each of the last two rounds, something that seems unlikely after Auckland reached 347 for four in reply to the visitors' 269 all out yesterday.

Jones and Hopkins - both one-test wonders who share 238 first class games between them - put on 135 for the fourth wicket to give their side control.

Opener Jones, 37, struck his 18th first class ton in reaching 123, an innings that lasted 3-1/2 hours and featured 17 fours. It lifted him to 694 runs for the season and five short of 7000 at first class level.

Hopkins was slightly more aggressive than his teammate and was unbeaten on 133 at day's end, closing in on his career best 175 not out. It is his 11th first class hundred.

Central's bowlers were all forced to toil. Spinner George Worker removed Andrew de Boorder for 31 and Jones, both caught by Mathew Sinclair, to claim two for 51.

- NZPA