As the State Championship reaches it climax the teams still in contention, including Auckland and Canterbury, who are poised to battle over the points tomorrow, are showing the value of four-day cricket as a stepping stone to Test level.

Given a true wicket, which groundsman Gerald Price has developed at the Village Green in Christchurch, players such as today's century maker Michael Papps, Auckland's hundred-maker, 18-year-old Rob Nicol and Andre Adams have had the chance to grow their batting, albeit against modest bowling.

The cool easterly wind has dried the wicket, leading to a likely run chase on the last day of this game, particularly as Adams (bruised thumb) and Wade Cornelius (stress fracture of the back) cannot bowl, denying each a spearhead to bowl the other out.

After lunch Canterbury batted on aimlessly, losing four wickets in 15 balls, before declaring 32 runs ahead on 304/9. For Canterbury coach Michael Sharpe this "showed that if you bowl well on there you can get wickets. It's not just a flat paradise and although it's a very good wicket it is hard to score very quickly."

Papps finished on 140 not out, the second big century of his season, and also his career.

The 22-year-old right-hander's hundred came up with a quick single into the on-side off his 199th delivery faced. He was partnered past his century by Gareth Hopkins (37). They added 70 for the sixth wicket to take the first innings points.

Papps played his characteristic fully extended square drive frequently to go to become Canterbury's top run scorer with 637 runs for the year. After a shoulder injury sustained mid-season Papps took some time to regain the form of his maiden century, 158 not out scored against Otago at the Village Green in December, but played a fluent and chanceless innings today.

Sharpe said: "It's really good seeing a player who can play for the whole season and perform - that's what he's been lacking the last couple of years."

Auckland's debutant, Bradley Nielsen, a 22-year-old self-confessed "slow-medium" right-armer emulated Ryan Burson on the first day when he took wickets in successive balls to deny Papps late order partners. He had Papps dropped by Reece Young on 12 yesterday.

Adams, who was walking round the ground with his right thumb in a jug of ice today, sustained the injury when he dropped Papps yesterday, from Gareth Shaw's bowling when the Canterbury right-hander was on three.

Adams hopes to bat in the second innings and be able to control the ball enough to bowl when Canterbury begins a likely run chase tomorrow.

When Auckland batted, Tim McIntosh drove towards a third century against Canterbury in four matches, reaching an unhurried 80 by the close when Auckland was 175/4, 143 runs ahead. He was joined in a second wicket stand of 78 by Nick Horsley (46) and added 36 for the third wicket with Tama Canning, who made 25.

McIntosh impressed at the Village Green, a ground the Canterbury Cricket Association is keen to move from, last year against Shane Bond and Warren Wisneski by calmly taking bouncers on the helmet. There was nothing as violent as that from Canterbury's medium paced, injury-ravaged attack. Today he hit 10 boundaries, accelerating with some hits over mid-on off Paul Wiseman towards the 5.30pm finish.

"He's been a thorn in our side," said Sharpe, who added with a glance at tomorrow, "I've yet to see it turn out there heaps, but it is wearing."

It was only off-spinner Wiseman who worried the Auckland batsmen in a long spell of three for 70 off 21 overs, and leg-spinner Brooke Walker may be the key in buying Auckland wickets in a Canterbury run chase tomorrow.

Auckland coach Tony Sail, in his penultimate game in charge said, "We were always going to play for a win outright." Although disappointed to lose first innings points, he looked ahead, adding "every game's a must-win game if you want to win the Championship."

His counterpart Sharpe concluded, "unless we can get a couple of wickets very, very early we're lacking that firepower, but it's important to keep high standards and if they want to go for the points we definitely want the points too."

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