KEY POINTS:
Northern Districts will host Canterbury in the five-day championship final in Hamilton next week.
On the final round robin day, Auckland's faint hopes of forcing their way into the State Championship decider were dashed by rain in Dunedin and Northern sneaked past Wellington to take first-innings points at
the Basin Reserve, depriving their hosts of a place in the final.
Canterbury made a determined batting effort against Central Districts to score a first-innings win in Napier, and those two points nudged them ahead of Wellington and into the final, which starts on Thursday.
Wellington v ND
A remarkable ninth-wicket stand by bowlers Tim Southee and Graeme Aldridge ruined Wellington's hopes of making the final.
The hosts made 314 in their first innings of a game badly affected by rain, and had to bowl ND out to gain the two points which would have put them through.
ND began the day at eight for one and for much of the day Wellington made steady progress through the Northern batting order.
At 82 for five, Wellington were within sight of the necessary points.
Grant Elliott had removed twins Hamish and James Marshall for 17 and 12 to put the skids under ND.
But Nick Horsley and wicketkeeper Peter McGlashan dug deep and put on 127 in 2 1/2 hours for the sixth wicket to block Wellington's advance.
McGlashan's dismissal for 63 was followed five overs later by Horsley, who was bowled for 57 by Jesse Ryder. Bruce Martin was out in the next over, and at 215 for eight, it seemed only the mopping up awaited Wellington.
But 18-year-old Southee, with a previous highest score of 17, and Aldridge had other ideas and shared an unbroken 104-run stand in an hour to snatch the game from Wellington.
Southee whacked seven fours and five sixes in making 75 off 47 balls. Aldridge was 25 not out and ND was 319 for eight.
CD v Canterbury
Diligent lower-order batting got Canterbury across the line in Napier.
They started the day at 376 for six, requiring 85 to get first-innings points and put the heat on Wellington for a final spot.
Progress was slow but steady as wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk and Iain Robertson put on 55 for the seventh wicket.
After van Wyk's dismissal, 16-year-old Corey Anderson hit a quick 29 in his first championship game and Canterbury declared at 462 for eight.
CD batted out time, declaring at 197 for four with opener Jamie How unbeaten on 102.