Cricket: Relentless ND stride towards Plunket Shield

Northern Districts, with the one-day title in the cabinet, have taken a substantial step towards adding the Plunket Shield to their season haul.

As they romped past a weak Wellington in less than three days, their closest challengers, Canterbury, were going down by just one wicket to Central Districts in New Plymouth.

The effect is ND have a 10-point cushion with three rounds remaining.

Wellington were dismissed for 248 in their second innings, leaving ND 42 to win - which they did for the loss of one wicket.

ND's key bowler was fast-medium Graeme Aldridge, who took nine for 104 in the match - giving him 31 for the shield campaign - and he was complemented by Kane Williamson's 170, continuing his fine summer.

Auckland came up just short against Otago in Dunedin yesterday. Requiring 358 for victory, bottom-placed Auckland gave the target a decent shake before being dismissed for 333, losing by 24 runs.

Test opener Tim McIntosh and up-and-comer Jeet Raval gave Auckland an ideal start to their chase, sharing an opening stand of 149. Ravel made 58 and McIntosh backed up his first-innings 81 with 89.

But after that, wickets fell regularly, and while Andrew de Boorder, Anaru Kitchen and Colin de Grandhomme all reached 30, none were able to press on. Otago spinner Nick Beard did the damage, taking a career-best six for 107.

Canterbury, who had surrendered first-innings points at Pukekura Park, piled on 551 for five declared in their second innings, including a New Zealand first-class record sixth-wicket stand of an unbroken 379 by double century-maker Shanan Stewart and wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk, who hit 178 not out.

CD, requiring 361 to take maximum points, got home with the bare one wicket to spare. Wicketkeeper Bevan Griggs, with a run-a-ball unbeaten 53, was the key contributor.

In eighth-round games, ND host Auckland in Whangarei, CD play Wellington in Napier and Otago host Canterbury at Queenstown.

First-class partnerships to beat

* New Zealand's highest sixth-wicket first-class partnerships: 379 - Shanan Stewart/Kruger van Wyk, Canterbury v Central Districts, New Plymouth, 2009/10 (unbeaten).

* 322 - Mark Orchard/Joseph Yovich, Northern Districts v Central Districts, Napier, 2005/06.

* 293 - Peter Fulton/Neil Broom, Canty v Otago, Dunedin, 2004/05 (unbeaten).