Cricket: Colin Munro century lifts Auckland Aces over Otago Volts in Ford Trophy final

Mark Chapman scored an unbeaten 84 to lead the Auckland Aces to the Ford Trophy title. Photo / Photosport

A blistering century from Colin Munro and a match-saving innings from Mark Chapman has seen Auckland claim their 12th domestic one-day title.

Munro peppered the boundaries at Eden Park Outer Oval on his way to 104 off 60 balls, and after a significant scare, Chapman took over, carving an unbeaten 84 from 78 balls as Auckland eventually hunted down Otago's 283 with two wickets and six overs to spare.

With their lineup stacked with returning Black Caps, Auckland were always tipped to triumph, but they made it difficult, losing regular wickets and exposing a shaky tail order as Otago found an opening.

After the rapid platform that had been set by Munro, Otago should have hardly been given a sniff, but they had fought back earlier in the day as well, having dragged themselves back from 187-7 to post a defendable total.

A 68-run eighth-wicket partnership between Jacob Duffy and Anaru Kitchen, who top scored with 60 from 54 balls, saw Otago through to 283, in an innings which featured several unusual events.

First Hamish Rutherford had to retire hurt after copping a Lockie Ferguson bouncer on the helmet, before Dean Foxcroft had to temporarily join him on the sideline after colliding with Glenn Phillips when completing a quick run. Foxcroft returned, but Phillips then turned into an unexpected destroyer with the ball, with the sometimes-wicketkeeper quadrupling his career one-day wickets with a valuable 3-40.

Just as unexpected was the second-ball duck from Martin Guptill. Fresh off dominating the best bowlers India had to offer, he left his bat hanging to a Duffy delivery, and was snaffled at slip. Jeet Raval (seven) and Phillips (20) followed, but all throughout, Munro was causing havoc.

12 fours and seven sixes saw him bring up a 58-ball century – somehow only the third-fastest century blasted in a one-day final – and even though he fell two balls later, chopping on to Duffy, Auckland's required run rate had sunk to requiring 4.5 an over, with 30 overs remaining.

However, Otago, who haven't won a title of any description since 2013, stayed in the hunt with constant wickets. Robbie O'Donnell was recklessly run out, and while Ben Horne and his cartoonishly leg-side stance smacked a quickfire 42, his aggressive departure was also unnecessary given the circumstances.

When Kyle Jamieson and Lockie Ferguson quickly came and went, Auckland still needed 31 runs, and Chapman, on 53, had just two tail-enders left for support.

Needing to expertly hog the strike, Chapman was a template to follow in how to mix aggression with the match situation, and as he took strike in the 44th over with 17 runs still required, Otago curiously threw the ball to Foxcroft, whose spin had already leaked 25 runs from three overs.

Chapman promptly deposited two of his first five deliveries for six, before being faced with one final conundrum as Otago looked to deny him the strike, and potentially give their final front-line bowler, Nathan Smith, a chance to clean up the tail and claim Otago's first one-day crown since 2008.

They wouldn't even get the chance, as Foxcroft darted in another delivery, only for Chapman to launch it over mid-wicket, rip off his helmet and unleash a triumphant roar.