Auckland and ND tie a thriller

In a dramatic finish, Auckland and Northern Districts somehow conspired to tie a game no team deserved to win. Daniel Vettori, the ND captain, ran out Chris martin for a duck on the penultimate ball of the match with the scores level at 275. For the second time in less than a fortnight, Paul Hitchcock scored a century against Northern Districts in the State Shield. Unlike the last occasion it was not enough to see his team win. Hitchcock's 107 from 102 balls was the highlight of Auckland's chase for 275 set by the home team, but he failed to find any significant support. Bruce Martin was the most effective ND bowler, taking 3 for 42 off his 10 overs. It was a great allround double for Hitchcock who took 4 for 45 earlier in the day. ND would have been disappointed it did not make better use of the 135-run opening partnership provided by Vettori (84) and BJ Watling (50). James Marshall provided a useful 42 while others made starts they failed to capitalise on.