Cricket: Just like a Hitchcock thriller

Paul Hitchcock could be forgiven for watching the action through the cracks in his fingers last night, as Auckland flirted with victory against Northern Districts before being forced to settle for a tie.

Chasing Northern's 275 for six at Hamilton's Westpac Park, Auckland lost their last two wickets to run-outs in the final over, squandering a straightforward chance to post what would have been just their third State Shield win in 17 outings.

No 10 Lance Shaw was defeated by a throw from Ryan Shutte with three runs required, and Northern skipper Daniel Vettori finished off Chris Martin's scrambled attempt at the winning single with one ball remaining.

While the tie at least provided Auckland with two rare competition points, it was a cruel ending for Hitchcock, who had earlier taken four of the six Northern wickets to fall before putting his team in the driving seat with an 86-ball century.

Hitchcock, who starred in Auckland's fourth round game against Northern with a run-a-ball 108, this time smashed 107 off 102 balls, a contribution that put his side in such a commanding position that only 101 runs were required off the last 20 overs, with seven wickets in hand.

The former New Zealand utility player initially shared in a 118-run stand for the second wicket with the teenage Martin Guptill, and seemed to have broken the back of the chase by the time he departed at 188 for four.

However, Auckland have been nothing if not calamitous this summer, and conspired to make the task much more difficult through the last 20, and particularly after Tama Canning was freakishly caught on the boundary at 233 for six.

Auckland required 29 off the last 18 balls but appeared to make the game their own in the penultimate over, when they smashed 19 runs off Joey Yovich to leave themselves just three short of the target.

Northern received excellent service from left-arm spinners Vettori and Bruce Martin, and from a fielding effort that contributed to the run-outs of Scott Styris, Hitchcock, Shaw and Martin.

Northern made a strong start to the game, Vettori leading from the front and carving out 84 off 92 balls and fellow opener B. J. Watling posting a more sedate 50, as the hosts put on 135 for the first wicket.

Northern's momentum was continued by James Marshall (42 off 39 balls), Yovich (28 off 31) and Peter McGlashan (21 off eight), as New Zealand test paceman Martin went for 68 off his allotment.

Northern remain in fifth place on the ladder with 12 points after the tie, while Auckland stay at the bottom with just six points, and virtually no chance of making the semifinals.

Central Districts lead the competition after seven rounds on 22 points with Otago second on 19, Canterbury third on 18 and Wellington fourth on 17.

* Nathan Astle's unbeaten 75 from 56 balls led Canterbury to a six wicket win over Central Districts in their Twenty/20 cricket match in Napier yesterday.

Chasing 171 for nine, Astle and Chris Harris, 15 not out, steered Canterbury to 172 at McLean Park with two balls remaining.

Earlier Mathew Sinclair's 58 and a rapid fire 41 from Jamie How set Central Districts' innings alight, but a middle-order collapse prevented the hosts from reaching 200.