Two horror patches of play has cost Bay of Plenty what looked like being a comfortable victory against Northland at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval.
A wagging Northland tail and a batting collapse conspired to produce a 50-run loss that looked almost unthinkable with only hours remaining on the second and final day yesterday afternoon.
Northland's total of 337 - inflated by their final two wickets combining for 81 runs - did not look like nearly enough when Bay captain Peter Drysdale (48) and Tom MacRury (88) had put on 133 for the first wicket.
Three wickets then fell for 14 runs, before Mitch McCann (48) and Bharat Popli (61) steadied the ship to put the Bay well ahead at 251/3.
Popli had looked his normal flowing self and was barely troubled before he held out in the deep on the last ball before tea, bringing Brett Hampton to the crease to join McCann.