31 Mar 2011

Tight finish looms in Plunket Shield

7:01 pm on 31 March 2011

A tight finish looms in the last round of cricket's Plunket Shield next week with Canterbury taking over the lead thanks to a 28 run outright win in Auckland.

It looked as if the home side had a chance of an upset win with Brad Cachopa and Bruce Martin adding 59 for the eighth wicket.

But, after dismissing Cachopa for 71 and Martin for 23, Canterbury wound up Auckland's second innings for 260

Earlier Northern took first innings points in drawing with Otago in Hamilton, where Daniel Flynn made 241 in the hosts' first innings.

Another former Black Cap Aaron Redmond got back-to-back centuries for Otago.

And Wellington were first innings winners after their draw with Central Districts at the Basin Reserve,

Canterbury's on 33 points with Central and Northern on 29, two clear of Wellington, while Otago's on 22 and Auckland 8.