Wellington should have won the recent Max final but collapsed incredibly in the last over. Its second XI also worked itself into a winning position yesterday, but was dismissed in the last of the 50 overs with 10 runs required.
Auckland was an easy winner of the other game, making 279 for eight, and dismissing Otago for 225 in the 46th over. Richard King made a century and extras were 50.
Otago was in deep trouble at 96 for five and Auckland looked set for an early finish when it reduced its opponent to 167 for nine.
Otago No. 7 batsman Scott Waide had other ideas, however. He waded into the Auckland attack and his spectacular hitting had fieldsmen regularly retrieving the ball from over the boundary.
The last wicket yielded 58 runs with Waide responsible for most of them. His entertaining innings of 94 came from 88 balls and included eight fours and five sixes.
Canterbury batted first after winning the toss against Wellington, but might have rued that decision when it lost three wickets for 20.
However, experienced Robbie Frew and promising teenage batsman Marcel McKenzie led the revival. They added 94 for the fourth wicket, with McKenzie the aggressor. A run-out ended the partnership with McKenzie scoring 45 off only 66 balls.
Frew batted patiently for more than two hours, but he anchored an innings which was buoyed by a rollicking half-century stand by Hamish Barton and Ben Yock. They added a quick 56, the 50 coming in 27 minutes off 39 balls. Barton's 42 was from 36 balls.
David Little removed both Frew and Barton, but the bowling honours were with Glen White, whose 10 overs cost only 19 runs.
Wellington openers Scott Golder and John Aitken shared a century stand, but Carl Anderson started the collapse by removing Aitken.
From 100 for none, Wellington fell to 130 for four and with Canterbury taking wickets regularly, 13 runs were needed off the last over. Darron Reekers ended Wellington's hopes with two balls left.
Short scoreboards:
Canterbury Second XI 221-7 (R Frew 61, M McKenzie 45, H Barton 42, B Yock 21no; S Hotter 2-40, D Little 2-51) beat Wellington Second XI 212 (S Golder 64, G Donaldson 25, J Franklin 22, extras 47; D Reekers 3-35, C Anderson 3-29).
Auckland Second XI 279-8 (R King 104, I Billcliff 59, R Scragg 25, extras 50; D Sewell 2-38, R Hooks 2-76, G Greene 2-28) beat Otago Second XI 225 (S Waide 94, C Davies 37, S Forde 29, M Sale 20; C Pryor 4-31, S Silva 2-40, T Topia 2-67).