Auckland needed a single point to claim the Plunket Shield and secured it in style.
Teams pick up a batting bonus point when they reach 200 runs in the first innings. Ollie Pringle raised that milestone with a flourish yesterday.
The Aces were 199 for seven when he strolled down the wicket at McLean Park and dispatched a delivery from Ajaz Patel for six.
Auckland was eventually dismissed for 221.
Black Cap Blair Tickner claimed his fifth first-class five-wicket bag to put Central Districts on top.
At stumps on day one the Stags are 131 for four in reply.
Auckland had last lifted the Plunket Shield in 2015-16.
In Whangarei, a new-look Northern Districts side was 189 for nine against Wellington at stumps on day one.
Northern Districts has seven players making their first-class debut — Fergus Lellman, Sam Varcoe, Sandeep Patel, Chris Swanson, Peter Drysdale, Ben Pomare and Josh Brown — with so many out because of Covid.
It is Northern’s highest number of new caps since the association’s maiden first-class game in 1956.
Iain McPeake has done the damage for Wellington with four for 36.
