It will be all to play for in the final match of the Shell Super Max League Northern Zone in Whakatane on Thursday. Northern Districts' six wicket victory over Auckland in the fourth of the five match series means that the two sides are all square with one to play.

Today's game, played at a chilly and sometimes wet ASB Bank Park, Te Awamutu, was low scoring by Max standards. The fact that it was played on a pacy artificial surface may explain this. Batsmen are unused to the ball coming on to them so quickly this early in the season and it was not until the final innings of the day that they came to terms with it.

For the first time in the series the side winning the toss chose to field, so it was Auckland who batted first.

Their innings failed to gain momentum, as wickets fell regularly. Lou Vincent was Auckland's most dangerous batsman, hitting five leg-side fours and a six over extra cover.

Off-spinner Grant Bradburn was ND's most successful bowler, frustrating Auckland in the middle of both innings, demonstrating that the subtle art of flight can be effective even in the most truncated form of the game. The third of his first innings wickets was his fiftieth in Max cricket. His figures for the game overall were aremarkable 4-0-23-4.

Joseph Yovich was also effective early in both innings. In the first over of the day he achieved the noteworthy feat of removing all three stumps at the batsman's end, though as he did so following through in an attempt to effect a run out having failed to pick up the ball, there was no cause for celebration.

Kyle Mills hit each of the first three deliveries of the final over, bowled by Aldridge, for six, to help Auckland's first innings to a semi-respectable 113. The fourth would have been a Max six had it not been caught just inside the field of play by Mark Bailey.

ND protected the Max zone so well that there were no Max hits at all in the Auckland first innings.

ND's reply was lacking in fluency throughout, as they conceded an eleven run deficit and the point available for first innings lead. Andre Adams was Auckland's best bowler, taking 2-11 from his two overs. The fielding and catching of both sides was generally sharp, another factor in keeping the totals down.

Simon Doull made things a lot better than they might have been with a double value Max six from the very last ball of the innings. He was rewarded with promotion to the unaccustomed role of opener in the second innings, becoming Mark Bailey's fourth partner of the series.

Auckland failed to press home their advantage, mustering only 96 second time around. Aaron Barnes hit a six and a Max six off Alex Tait and, with Lou Vincent, looked set for a decisive partnership. However, Vincent was caught behind and Barnes became frustrated at his inability to get Bradburn away, eventually holing out to the off-spinner on the deep square leg boundary in the eighth over.

ND were left with a target of 108, which looked challenging in the context of the match. Not so. It was achieved with two overs to spare, a huge amount of time in Max terms. Michael Parlane led the way, playing the innings of the day after Mark Bailey fell hooking from the first ball of the innings. Parlane's 51 came in just 23 balls.

In the second over of the innings, bowled by Kyle Mills, he scattered spectators on the deep square leg boundary with two sixes and a four.

The fourth over put the game beyond Auckland's reach. It was bowled by Chris Drum, who unaccountably conceded three free hits by bowling no-balls above shoulder height. 22 came from the over, including three fours and a six from Parlane. Alex Tait joined in the carnage with a six and two fours off Adams. Tait hit the winning runs in the eighth over.

An unusual occurrence in the match was that three free hits resulting from no-balls were caught, to the confusion of some spectators, and of the batsmen in one instance as a run out almost resulted.

Both sides now have eight points, so we are down to a knock-out. ND have come back strongly after defeat in the first two matches. Home advantage is their favour too, though not many of them will have played at Whakatane before, so this may not count for much.

Auckland may make changes and might consider a wider range of bowling options. Tama Canning, for one, has not had much bowling in the competition so far.

An added incentive is that the winner will stage all the semi-finals, at Cambridge or Auckland depending on which team it is.

The deciding game begins at 3.30pm on Thursday 2 November at Rex Morpeth Park, Whakatane.

© CricInfo