Central Districts matchwinner Mark Douglas didn't know if he was playing his last Shell Cup innings against Northern Districts in today's semi-final at Napier, but just in case it was, he wanted to be not out at the end.

He was, 89 not out from 92 balls, and in the process of setting up his side's three-wicket win, he assured himself of a chance of bowing out of Shell Cup cricket with a 100th appearance, against Canterbury at Jade Stadium on Saturday.

Douglas confirmed straight after the semi-final to CricInfo that this season will be his last. The 32-year-old CD beneficiary this year started his career with CD in 1987/88 and has the chance for a golden finish next weekend.

Firstly, he has to help his side in Wednesday's first of the best-of-three finals at Napier, and then face probably two games at Jade to decide this year's winner.

It is the first time since 1993/94 that CD have been in a final, and they faced a genuine battle against ND to achieve it yesterday.

But his effort today was typical of the little left-hander's pugnacity, a quality which has highlighted his potential without him really ever going on to achieve all that he was capable of.

He admitted that he has often been his own worst enemy with shot selection getting him into trouble.

However, today his ability was to the fore in what was a classic demonstration of the batsman he can be.

"I felt as if I wasn't going to get out," he said.

The only problem was he was running out of partners.

After Craig Spearman blazed a pulsating 68 runs off 70 balls with three sixes and six fours to take CD to 137/3 in pursuit of ND's 227/6, it seemed the result was going to be a breeze.

Douglas had helped Spearman add 64 for the fourth wicket and was joined by his captain Jacob Oram in what was developing as a match-winning partnership when disaster struck.

Oram played an unnecessary shot to Daniel Vettori, who had earlier gained Spearman's wicket having been hit for three sixes in short order by him, and was easily caught. Then two balls later Vettori claimed Glen Sulzberger's wicket.

What had looked a dawdle had almost become a calamity.

However, Bevan Griggs, who only made his Cup debut two games earlier, may have been making his first appearance at the crease in the Cup but he had the know-how to stick around and support Douglas.

"I said to him that we didn't have to hit boundaries, we just had to tick it over. I said to him that he was the one who had to take the risks because I had to bat through," Douglas said.

Griggs proved an admirable support and while very much the junior partner he helped add 55 runs and was only out with 12 runs left.

By that stage the issue was beyond doubt and it was left to Douglas and Andrew Schwass, who was eight not out, to claim the win.

Earlier, it was Vettori, with his unique approach when opening, who gave ND the basis of a sound score of 227/6. He made his highest Cup score of 75, off 99 balls, and looked set for an even higher score until he was surprisingly bowled by Glen Sulzberger.

With his departure the boundary scoring factor seemed to go out of the ND batsmen and there were long periods where singles were the only runs that came their way. Hamish Marshall 44 and Grant Bradburn 39 not out, were effective in harvesting runs but there was always the feeling that ND was 20 to 30 runs short of where it should have been.

ND captain Robbie Hart, who was 21 not out at the end, said it had been a 240-250 wicket and was disappointed his side had not scored more.

"When we had their bowling under pressure with our batting we lost wickets when we didn't need to. And when we had them under pressure while they were batting, we let them off.

"When they were batting they never let us string together six or seven tight overs, they were hitting threes and fours all the way," he said.

But it was Douglas' day and he made the comment that the CD side of two or three years ago would not have won today's game.

"We knew we could do it, we believe in ourselves and we have been doing it again and again. I think that is a credit to Dipak [Patel-the coach]. He has kept the team together and he has worked his way through with the guys. We have never been more professional than we are this year and we are getting more professional," Douglas said.

It had been a disappointing year in terms of runs scored for Douglas. His previous highest was 27, but he said that was often attributable to the situation he was required to bat in.

"My career stats show I've been most successful as an opener. There were 17 overs gone when I went in today so there was time. "I'm near the end of my career and I'm only just finding myself. But my family needs me more than cricket now, and that's the way it is," he said.

One thousand and a few loyal CD fans who watched him bat today will wish him a happy retirement and wonder what might have been had that shot selection been as consistently good as it was in sinking ND's hopes today.

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