After a tense Round Eight, the Plunket Shield is down to a three-horse race.
A dramatic draw this evening between the two top title contenders in the "Battle of the Basin" keeps the Plunket Shield on course for a gripping conclusion to a tight season, to be played out over the final two rounds.
A dogged ninth wicket stand denied the Firebirds coveted outright points at the Basin. MButcher/NZC
The Wellington Firebirds and Central Stags both had to settle for a draw on the tumultuous final day at the Basin Reserve, the front-running Firebirds denied the final two Stags wickets that would have seen them stretch out their lead into open space at the top of the table.
Despite a top-of-the-table stalemate, the Firebirds remain in the box seat. MButcher/NZC
Instead, after an hour-plus of resistance for the ninth wicket, just 12 points — the amount awarded for an outright — still separates the two sides heading into the penultimate round.
Central Stags strike weapon Adam Milne has been a key asset. MButcher/NZC
The two teams had shown both were both worthy of holding this season's title, locked in a classic first-class battle across the four days — a match of punch and counterpunch, bowlers digging deep on a flat surface, the capital's batsmen chalking up record-smashing performances and the Stags, minus a number of their regular performers, showing guts down the order to hold out a testing Firebirds attack.
Having escaped with the draw after a dramatic second innings collapse, the Stags remain the only unbeaten side in the Plunket Shield and head home to McLean Park next to play cellar-dwellers Canterbury, while the Firebirds will remain at the Basin to host Northern Districts.
A sixth-wicket record at the Basin was a highlight for the high-flying Firebirds. MButcher/NZC
Fourth-placed ND dropped out of contention in this round after a weather-affected drawn result with the Otago Volts in Whangarei, the highlight of which was a seven-wicket bag to leg-spinner Ish Sodhi (7-98).
It was the third first-class seven-for of Sodhi's career, restricting the Volts to 331 in their first innings. However, despite a positive declaration behind from ND captain Daniel Flynn, wet weather ultimately doomed the possibility of a result.
In a Whangarei fizzer Ish Sodhi took a seven-for for the third time in his first-class career. PHOTOSPORT
The Firebirds will then meet the Auckland Aces at Eden Park Outer Oval in the final round in early April, while the Stags will remain in Napier, but pop across the road to Nelson Park to host ND.
The Auckland Aces are the third horse left in the race, but with eight days left in the first-class season they face a serious catch-up job on the leaders to claim the $75,000 championship prize at stake.
