Defending champions Auckland have kept pace at the top of the table after three rounds of the national domestic 50-over competition.
The Aucklanders made their way to a comfortable six-wicket win over Northern Districts at the Bay Oval in Mt Manganui today.
The result left them equal-top of the Ford Trophy standings with Otago, although the Southerners have a superior net run rate.
Auckland paced their chase to perfection, led by top-order batsman Brad Cachopa's career-high 91, as they usurped the Knights' 241 with 12 balls to spare.
The Aces began their chase on a quality wicket at snail's pace, with neither Cachopa nor Tim McIntosh in any hurry as the run rate immediately crept up past six runs an over.
But it was the perfect ploy as they kept wickets up their sleeve for the late innings' acceleration.
The pint-sized Cachopa, 23, worked the ball mercilessly throughout his innings, easing to 91 before left-arm spinner Anton Devcich removed him in the 41st over, shortly after Colin Munro was out for a whirlwind 32 in a third-wicket partnership that delivered 71 for Auckland.
Cachopa's departure put further pressure on the middle order as the run-rate reached 7.3 an over but the experience of Gareth Hopkins and Colin de Grandhomme prevailed, with de Grandhomme particularly punishing as Auckland launched at the Knights' attack.
They whacked 31 runs from the 46th and 47th overs, with de Grandhomme finishing unbeaten on 38 off 26 balls including three big sixes.
Earlier, the Knights looked dead and buried from the outset after losing Brad Wilson and skipper James Marshall, who won the toss and elected to bat, with just four runs on the board to first-ball ducks, both victims of seamer Michael Bates.
Opener Hamish Marshall constructed a clever 110-ball 83 to rescue the innings before throwing it away in the 41st over when he played a timid shot to Bates off Andre Adams' bowling.
Marshall and rookie Daryl Mitchell (48 off 76 balls) put on a vital 83 for the fifth wicket and Devcich hit a lusty unbeaten 55 from 41 balls but there was almost nil return from the tail as Bhupinder Singh, Kyle Mills and Bates ripped out the last four batsman for the addition of just 10 runs.
Best with the ball for Auckland were Adams' 3-35 from 10 overs and Bates' 3-37.
The result dropped Northern to dead last in the competition, with Wellington ahead of them on run rate.
In Napier, Wellington captain Grant Elliott thought they were in with a sniff but, alas, rain again had the final word in their clash with Central Districts at Nelson Park.
The Firebirds were perched precariously on 205-8 after 46 overs with opener Michael Pollard unbeaten on 114 from 137 balls, including eight boundaries and No 10 Scott Kuggeleijn was 12 not out from 11 balls.
But the heavens opened and no further play was possible.
Pollard was the only batsman to show some fire in his belly as the Stags' bowlers ripped through the visitors' batting line-up with monotonous regularity.
The next-highest contributor was Craig Cachopa who managed 20 before legspinner Tarun Nethula rattled his furniture.
"I think, assessing the wicket although I was only out there for a short time - anything above 220 would have been quite competitive,'' said Elliott, who contributed 15 runs before hitting down the throat of Jacob Oram from a Kieran Noema-Barnett delivery.
Satisfied they have a respectable bowling attack, former Black Cap Elliott thought a few early wickets would have put them on track for victory.
Coming in for the injured Adam Milne, Hawke's Bay rookie Stevie Smidt was expensive but snared the scalps of opener Michael Papps for five runs and No 3 Harry Boam for a duck as their scoreboard resembled a cellphone number in the early stages.
Allrounder Kieran Noema-Barnett took 2-42 off his 10 overs while Dutch international Peter Borren also took two wickets.
Black Cap Jacob Oram and veteran seamer Michael Mason were wicket-less but economically sound at 2.7 and four runs an over, respectively.
The result was no help to either side as Central remain in fourth place, while Wellington are fifth, just ahead of Northern Districts.
In Rangiora, Canterbury and Otago didn't even take the field as poor weather saw their game abandoned.
The fourth round of games will be played on Sunday and Canterbury will host Wellington in Timaru, Northern Districts will play Central Districts in Hamilton and Auckland travel to Dunedin to meet Otago.
Points after three rounds: Otago 11, Auckland 11, Canterbury 9, Central Districts 4, Wellington 2, Northern Districts 2.
