Otago held on to beat the highly rated Auckland side by five runs by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in a rain-affected final.
Otago was well-placed at 72 for two when rain forced the players from the field after 19 overs.
When the teams returned, the match was reduced to a 25-over affair and Otago went on the offensive, smacking a further 53 runs to reach 125 for eight.
Auckland chased an adjusted target of 168 and went hard early, losing two wickets in the second over.
It got back on track through Finn Allen (35 from 26) and William O’Donnell (35 from 44). But some tight bowling towards the end put the pressure back on Auckland. It needed 20 off the last over from Ryan Whelan but managed only 14.
Earlier, Hunter Kindley helped set up the victory with a fine knock of 44 from 55 deliveries. He combined with Cameron McAuslan (40 from 45) in a stand of 60 for the third wicket which proved crucial.
Kindley was one of the stars at the tournament. Before the final he was the leading scorer with 262 runs at an average of 52.40. Kindley, Ben Lockrose, Whelan, Max Chu and Llew Johnson were all named in the New Zealand under-18 side at the conclusion of the tournament, which was further recognition for the team.
Since 2007-08, Auckland and Canterbury have shared the spoils. Auckland has won five times and Canterbury claiming four titles.
Auckland went into the final as a warm favorite having beaten Otago by 175 runs earlier in the week. But Otago coach Adam Miles felt his side had learnt a lot from that defeat and applied it during the final.
"They had a strong side and won the round robin. But we felt if we played well we’d have a chance and the boys fought really hard," Miles said.
"And our spinners bowled well through the middle. We managed to really tie them down ... and create a lot of pressure. The run rate just jumped and jumped."
