Raval century helps Auckland draw

A century from opener Jeet Raval led Auckland to a draw on the final day of their Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts. The teams picked up six points apiece at the end of the game.

On the fourth morning, Northern Districts declared on their overnight score of 384 for 9, setting Auckland a target of 398. In reply, the Auckland openers, Raval and Tim McIntosh frustrated the Northern Districts attack during their 158-run stand. Raval scored his sixth first-class hundred in 195 balls and held steady even after McIntosh was dismissed for 60. With a result unlikely, play was called off during the tea break, with Aukland on 189 for 1, 209 runs behind the target.

Both teams had good outings with the bat in the match. Northern Districts scored 315 in the first innings, built around BJ Watling's 90 off 144 balls and a half-century from Scott Kuggeleijn. Seamer Matthew Quinn and allrounder Colin de Grandhomme were the best bowlers on show for Auckland. Quinn, playing his third first-class match, took his first four-for in domestic cricket to finish with 4 for 66 off 19 overs.

Daniel Vettori, returning to first-class cricket after 15 months, picked up a five-for for Northern Districts. His strikes left Auckland struggling at 256 for 9 before a plucky 46-run stand between Donovan Grobbelaar and Tipene Friday took Auckland past 300.

Watling and Kuggeleijn had shared a 90-run stand for the seventh wicket in the first innings and the pair combined again in the second to lift Northern Districts from 223 for 6. The pair added 103 runs for the seventh wicket and Watling followed his first-innings half-century with a hundred off 143 balls. Kuggeleijn slammed eight fours and two sixes in his 56-ball 60 as Northern Districts passed 300. New Zealand's Test left-arm spinner Bruce Martin, who was wicketless in the first innings, picked up three wickets for 100 runs in the second.