The Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic are into second behind the New South Wales Swifts midway through netball's trans-Tasman championship after holding off a strong challenge from the Northern Mystics to win 49-46 in Hamilton.
After seven rounds of the ANZ Championship, the Magic remain New Zealand's best hope, though the Mystics made a real fight of this one.
It was 24-24 at half-time and there was only one goal in it with three minutes to go before the Mystics faltered under pressure and Magic secured their fifth straight win.
After losing by nine goals to the Magic in round three the Mystics showed the form they had promised all season in what the home side's capain Laura Langman called an epic battle.
The Mystics coach Te Aroha Keenan says after the big earlier loss to the Magic, then a run of three losses, there's some consolation in at least stopping a trend of letting games getting away in the last quarter, but she always felt they could have stolen the win.
The Queensland Firebirds beat the West Coast Fever 63-57 in Brisbane in the late game.
The New South Wales Swifts top the table with 12 points, two clear of the Magic and the Melbourne Vixens with the Adelaide Thunderbirds two back in fourth ahead of the Firebirds and the Southern Steel.
The Mystics are now seventh on six points, four clear of the Fever and the Canterbury Tactix with the Central Pulse yet to win.
.
