Northern Districts beat Auckland by five wickets with 13 balls to spare at WestpacTrust Park in Hamilton.

An innings of 105 from opener James Marshall took ND most of the way to victory, but there were some nervous moments before an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 53 between Marshall's twin brother Hamish and Grant Bradburn saw them home.

At the end of the third day's play ND coach Bruce Blair told CricInfo that he felt confident about chasing 200 or less. That being so, a target of 248 looked uncomfortably challenging.

Setting such a target was towards the outer limit of Auckland's ambitions at the start of play. A blistering innings by Andre Adams made it possible. He scored 60 from 76 balls, hitting four fours and three sixes.

His method was simple. If the ball was pitched up he aimed straight, short and it went square, both achieved with a minimum of footwork. As well as giving his team a chance to win the game it pushed Adams' claims for selection in the CLEAR Black Caps one-day squad, following his 5-70 in ND's first innings.

Brooke Walker contributed three to the eighth-wicket partnership of 67 with Adams, but his contribution was far from negligible in other respects. He batted through the morning, taking over the attacking role after Adams departed and fell one short of a deserved half century. Auckland finished on 307.

Joseph Yovich took 6/102 in the second innings, completing his first 10-wicket match haul in first-class cricket.

James Marshall had not fielded in Auckland's second innings because of a hand injury sustained batting in the first innings. The rest seemed to do him good, because from the start of his innings he batted with a level of rhythm, timing and confidence that he has not shown for two years.

Marshall's 105 came in 147 balls with eleven fours and two sixes, both lifted effortlessly over midwicket. He played confidently all around the wicket, but the timing and placement of his offside drives was particularly memorable.

The ND management will be pleased that there were four half-century stands in the innings, as building partnerships had been identified as a priority.

Speaking to CricInfo at the end of the match, ND captain Robbie Hart praised the contributions of Marshall and Bradburn, while emphasising that victory was achieved through an all-round team performance.

"We needed Bradburn's experience when it was tight at the end," he said.

ND are in second place on the State Championship table, one point above Auckland and four behind new leaders Canterbury. The State Championship now takes a break of five weeks while the one-day State Shield is played.

Players and officials of both sides were full of praise for the job done by turf manager Doug Strachan and his team. They produced a surface that offered pace, consistent bounce, something for all the bowlers, but one that the batsmen always had confidence in.

Even in ordinary conditions this would be an achievement, but in the primeval swamp that has been Hamilton for the past two weeks it is little short of a miracle. Strachan has had nine hours sleep in the last three nights as he has battled against the elements in the name of cricket.

How will he celebrate New Year's Eve?

"I'm going to buy a curry, go home and fall asleep by eight o'clock," he said.

© CricInfo