Impressive performances from Martin Guptill and Bruce Martin have set up an intriguing final day in Auckland's Plunket Shield encounter with Central Districts.
After being on the back foot for much of the opening two days in Napier, the visitors hit back through a pair of internationals and left allthree results in play heading into today's action.
Guptill, resuming on 135, added a quick 50 runs while batting with the tail before being last man out as Auckland were dismissed for 351. With the Stags holding a 116-run first-innings lead, Martin then claimed four wickets from 25 miserly overs to reduce CD to 165 for seven at stumps, an overall advantage of 281 with three wickets remaining.
If Auckland snare an unlikely victory, they would owe much to the efforts of Guptill. After spending an injury-enforced spell on the sidelines following his exertions in the Caribbean Premier League, the opener will have his eye on selection for the ODI series against the West Indies beginning on Boxing Day.
His knock in Nelson Park would have done no harm to those chances, hitting 20 boundaries before being bowled by Ajaz Patel 15 runs short of a maiden first-class double-century.
Martin, too, has something to prove after losing his place to Ish Sodhi for the test series against the West Indies.
Yesterday he removed opener Ben Smith in his first spell to reduce the hosts to 48 for three, before ripping through the middle order to take the final three wickets to fall.
Elsewhere, leaders Canterbury are close to wrapping up another win against Northern Districts in Christchurch, with the visitors leading by 106 runs with one wicket in hand at stumps. In Invercargill, Otago's match with Wellington will end all square unless some creative captaincy comes into play on the final day.
