Peter McGlashan smacked successive sixes off the last two balls as Northern Districts beat Wellington by one wicket in a State Shield one-day cricket match.
McGlashan twice swatted international fast-medium bowler Mark Gillespie over the picket fence at the Basin Reserve as Northern Districts chased down the home side's 289 for nine.
It marked an eventful end to an eventful final over which had started with Northern Districts requiring 10 runs and Wellington needing three wickets.
Gillespie bowled Tim Southee and Trent Boult with his first and second deliveries before tailender Brent Arnel scurried through for a single off the next.
McGlashan failed to get bat on ball to the fourth delivery but then hit the sweat spot twice in a row to finish the match unbeaten on 39 off 30 balls and ensure his team stay atop the standings through eight rounds.
The visitors' pursuit was given immediate impetus as Hamish Marshall struck 52 off 38 balls while his opening partner BJ Watling was more circumspect in making 63 off 85.
Captain James Marshall's fluent 74 ensured Northern Districts remained within striking distance of the asking rate, and the equation improved further so when he took the long handle to Gillespie, hitting him for five fours in one over.
But Gillespie had the last laugh, bending his back to induce an edge from Marshall's bat to leave Northern Districts at 248 for six in the 44th over.
McGlashan then saw the visitors to their target, a mighty achievement against an international quality attack containing the likes of Gillespie, Iain O'Brien, Jeetan Patel, James Franklin and Grant Elliott.
O'Brien worked tirelessly into a strong northerly wind to pick up three for 43, identical figures to those posted by offspinner Patel.
Gillespie, too, collected a bag of three but at some cost because his eight overs leaked 71 runs.
Earlier, Wellington batsman Neal Parlane overcame an ankle injury to register his maiden domestic one-day century.
The 30-year-old hit a career-best 105 to pilot Wellington to an imposing total.
He spent a large chunk of his innings using skipper Matthew Bell as a runner before he was run out, the first of two such dismissals effected by Watling.
In his 96th domestic one-day match, Parlane chalked up his 14th half-century before converting it into his maiden century after being gifted a life on 76 when dropped at fine leg.
Wellington slightly lost their way after reaching 220 for three after 40 overs as Northern Districts fought back in the latter stages of the innings, with young left-arm seamer Trent Boult impressing most to collect figures of four for 50.
Wellington had seemed poised to top 300 after Parlane and Elliott shared a stand of 162 for the fourth wicket at a rate of more than six runs an over.
They had more than made up for Wellington's unconvincing start as they stuttered to 68 for three before Parlane and Elliott turned things around.
Elliott's contribution was a feisty 78 off 71 balls, containing two fours and two sixes, while Parlane's runs came off 114 deliveries, 10 of which he guided to the boundary.
NZPA
