Vettori delivers the crucial blows in 6-wicket ND win

A marathon week had little effect on Daniel Vettori as he starred with bat and ball to lead Northern Districts to a crucial six-wicket Twenty20 cricket victory over Wellington in Mt Maunganui yesterday. 
Fresh from jetting from Invercargill to Sydney to Auckland in little over 24 hours - and starring for Queensland in the Australian competition - Vettori was again the go-to man for the hosts at Blake Park.
The New Zealand captain took the key wickets of internationals Owais Shah and James Franklin in a spell of two for 19, then cracked 39 off 32 balls as Northern cruised to their target of 120 with 3.3 overs to spare.
The win, Northern's third from six matches, was much-needed to stay in contention for the final, while Wellington's finals aspirations were buried with their fourth defeat of the season.
Having won the toss, Wellington's innings never got going against an accurate home attack, for whom test paceman Tim Southee had the best figures of two for 17.
Vettori struck the crucial blows, trapping topscorer Shah leg before wicket for 29 and having Franklin caught by Southee for 20.
Northern's new Sri Lankan import Tillakaratne Dilshan, fresh off the plane from international duty, had a quiet debut with bowling figures of two for eight off two overs before he was dismissed for four by Franklin.
But the hosts didn't need his heroics as opener Peter McGlashan scored 43 off 38 deliveries to add 61 with Vettori for the second wicket.
When Vettori departed it was 95 for three in the 15th over, and the polish was applied by Anton Devcich who finished the match with three huge sixes to be 18 not out off four balls.
In Nelson, a memorable debut bowling spell by Seth Rance helped Central Districts maintain their lead in the  competition with an eight-wicket win over Canterbury.
Rance justified captain Jamie How's decision to bowl first, returning outstanding figures of four for 13 off four overs as Canterbury posted a sub-standard 135 for eight.
Opener Peter Ingram led home a comfortable run chase with 77 not out as Central won with five balls to spare, their fifth victory from six matches.
It was Wairarapa seamer Rance's first appearance in either the Twenty20 or one-day formats for Central, having played four first-class matches since his debut last March.
His first three victims were Rob Nicol, Shanan Stewart and Johann Myburgh before he claimed the prized scalp of former New Zealand batsman Craig McMillan, just as he was mounting a fightback.
McMillan, returning from a calf strain, clubbed 38 off 26 balls before he was skittled by Rance in the 15th over.
Canterbury captain Peter Fulton was unbeaten on 41 off 35 balls but he had little support, while Central import Graham Napier continued his consistent form with two for 19 off four.
After an early hiccup when How was run out for five, Central cruised home thanks to a 93-run second-wicket stand between Ingram and the in-form Mathew Sinclair.
Ingram hit three fours and three sixes in his 69-ball knock while Sinclair hit a brisk 40 off 32 deliveries before he was removed by Myburgh when the match was safe.
The result continued Canterbury's miserable Twenty20 campaign as they suffered their fifth loss to remain at the foot of the table.
Two remarkable performances - an Ian Butler six-wicket haul and a Brendon McCullum century - helped Otago cement second spot on the  ladder with a five-wicket win over Auckland in Dunedin.
Butler took New Zealand record figures of six for 28, beating Jacob Oram's five for 14 against Otago earlier this season, as Auckland posted 168 for eight.
Then McCullum lit up University Oval with his 108 not out off just 67 deliveries, including 10 fours and four sixes, as the hosts reached their target with three balls to spare.
The win enabled the defending champions to pinch a six-point break on Auckland in second spot on the ladder, behind  Central Districts, in the race to the final.
Butler terrorised the Auckland batsmen in his four-over spell, removing import Ravi Bopara as his first victim then sending back Wednesday's centurymaker Lou Vincent for 16.
Only Scott Styris provided any resistance, topscoring with 54 off 44 balls before Butler ended his innings.
 
 NZPA