KEY POINTS:
Auckland have zoomed nine points clear after a resounding five-wicket win over Otago in the national one-day championship yesterday.
With four rounds left in the State Shield, Auckland are strongly positioned to host the final on March 2.
"There's a possible 15 points left," Auckland coach Mark O'Donnell said last night. "Those sort of things take care of themselves. We'll just keep playing. It's about momentum and doing it right."
After losing the toss, they restricted their closest challengers to 207 for nine at Dunedin's University Oval - where earlier in the season they had been beaten inside two days on an under-prepared pitch - Auckland got to 212 for five in 42 overs.
Young opener Martin Guptill hit an unbeaten 81 to steer Auckland home. That maintains an impressive shield campaign for the 21-year-old, whose record now stands at 384 runs at an imposing average of 64.
"He played sensibly because it wasn't that easy just to stand and hit through it," O'Donnell said. "If you've got one of your top-order batters in at 40 overs you'll win most games."
Auckland host Canterbury at Eden Park on Wednesday.
Auckland's cause was also helped yesterday by third-placed Central Districts losing to Canterbury by 58 runs in Christchurch.
Bottom two teams, Northern Districts and Wellington, were rained out in Hamilton, with ND battling at 125 for seven, having won the toss.
