KEY POINTS:
Northern Districts will go into today's domestic one-day final against Otago in confident mood, and should be favourites on their home ground in Hamilton.
They finished top of the round robin, winning seven of their 10 games, including both contests against Otago, and believe they can finish the job off today.
Four of the top 10 batsmen, on averages, are from ND, including opener BJ Watling, whose 481 runs at 68.71 have him third behind only the outstanding Central Districts captain Mathew Sinclair and Otago's regular captain Craig Cumming.
Kane Williamson and Peter McGlashan both average over 50; Michael Parlane and captain James Marshall are in the 40s.
Allrounder Joseph Yovich and fast-medium Brent Arnel have shared 27 wickets in a strong allround bowling effort.
"I'm very proud of the way the boys have worked off the pitch," coach Grant Bradburn said yesterday.
"We deserved to be top of the table."
That said, he acknowledged the peculiar nature of the one-off contest and will prepare his players accordingly.
However the nature of their wins over Otago - a nine-wicket thumping in Alexandra and a last-over three-wicket win at Whangarei - give him confidence in his players' ability to win the State Shield for the second time in five years.
"We played very well in those two games and we're really looking forward to putting together the processes we know have worked against this team," Bradburn added.
So what of Otago? Just as ND will be without fast-medium Tim Southee and impressive young left-armer Trent Boult, who are with the New Zealand team in Australia, so Otago have been shorn of internationals Brendon McCullum, Neil Broom and the recalled Cumming.
Without those three, runs could be their problem today, if they bat first, and they will be hoping for a strong allround showing from England ODI international Dimitri Mascarenhas.
But bowling has been a real strength, with South African new ball man Neil Wagner the outstanding performer in the competition. His 23 wickets have been at an average of just 16.21 apiece, with a strike rate of a wicket each 20.69 balls.
Otago's record - four wins, four losses and two abandoned games - isn't flash, but on closer inspection three losses were inside the final three deliveries, two coming on the last ball of the match. The rain didn't help.
Had they beaten Wellington in their final round robin game, they would have hosted the semifinal against Canterbury.
Coach Mike Hesson is unfazed by the two earlier losses to ND.
"It's a one-off final, and we've had good battles with ND over the last couple of years, so I'd take nothing out of those two losses," he said.
ND V OTAGO
Seddon Park, 11am today
ND: James Marshall (c), Hamish Marshall, BJ Watling, Michael Parlane, Daniel Flynn, Kane Williamson, Peter McGlashan, Joseph Yovich, Brent Arnel, Bruce Martin, Bradley Scott, Graeme Aldridge (one to be omitted).
Otago: Nathan McCullum (c), Aaron Redmond, Shaun Haig, Greg Todd, Simon Eathorne, Hamish Rutherford, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Derek de Boorder, Ian Butler, Warren McSkimming, Neil Wagner, James McMillan (one to be omitted).
