Expect an early declaration today from the Canterbury Kings as they try to take the speculation out of the bragging rights for Plunket Shield this summer.
After skittling the Central Districts Stags for 315 in 97.1 overs before lunch yesterday, 73 behind the target, the visitors piled on 273-8 in 69 overs in their second dig for a lead of 346 runs with two wickets in hand going into the final day today.
The Stags were only able to add 68 runs to their overnight total in their first innings with captain William Young remaining unbeaten on 128, including 14 boundaries and two sixes at Saxton Oval, Nelson.
"We started up and it was doing a little bit early and then it just flattened out so it was easy to bat on," said CD seamer Blair Tickner after taking 3-54 while medium pacer Navin Patel and part-time spinner Tom Bruce chimed in with two wickets each.
Tickner said the CD camp suspected the Kings would take five or six overs to bat before declaring today.