The destination of the Plunket Shield this season is going down to the wire, after Northern Districts defeated defending champion the Wellington Firebirds in a dramatic finish, a short time ago at the Cello Basin Reserve.

A loss in the penultimate round would have spelt almost certain doom for Northern’s 12-year quest to break their national first-class title drought, but after a Scott Kuggeleijn five-wicket bag, now only seven points separate Northern (89), Wellington (82) and Canterbury (80) heading into the final round that begins on Saturday.

Twenty points will be at stake per match, and Wellington and Canterbury will be playing each other – while Northern heads to Dunedin to take on the out-of-contention Otago Volts.

Two weeks ago, Northern Districts was leading the national competition, before Wellington snatched the lead. 

After this afternoon’s 20-run win, ND is now back in pole as the only team still undefeated after seven of the eight rounds – and they are now the only side with four wins ahead of the final round. Should any teams finish on equal points at the conclusion of the championship, the first separator is the number of outright wins.

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After a lengthy weather delay this morning in the capital, Tom Blundell’s Firebirds had resumed at 2pm this afternoon needing a mere 39 runs for victory, with three wickets in hand on the last day.

But two quick wickets from Northern pace allrounder Scott Kuggeleijn dramatically improved Northern’s chances, the Firebirds down to their last wicket and still needing to find 33 further runs as last man Liam Dudding looked to survive against a steaming Neil Wagner and Kuggeleijn on a roll.

The target was chiselled down to the last 21 when ND’s sharp fielding stopped senior batter Logan van Beek from completing a second run, exposing Dudding to Kuggeleijn. 

Just two balls later, Kuggeleijn had his 14th first-class five-wicket bag — his first against his former team — with a match-winning 5/57, van Beek left stranded on 46* as the Firebirds were dismissed for 245.

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A Firebirds win would have seen them take a hefty 14-point advantage into the last round in their own quest to become the first team in six years to successfully defend the 119-year-old Plunket Shield.

To hold onto that dream, Wellington now needs to head off Canterbury next week who meanwhile kept their own chances alive by taking the full 20 points from a comprehensive innings victory over the Central Stags — executed with almost half the match to spare, at Hagley Oval yesterday.

Canterbury faces a decisive final round away to the Firebirds at the Basin while, in the only match still in progress, the out-of-contention Volts are looking to continue a positive trend at the business end of their first-class summer.

Having set the Auckland Aces a last innings chase of 293 in Dunedin, Otago is hunting a second consecutive outright victory this afternoon, and a short time ago had the Auckland Aces 80/3, needing a further 213 runs.

It’s been three years since the Volts last chalked up more than one win in a first-class season, with the chance to improve to fourth on the ladder at stake.

FINAL ROUND

The Volts will host Northern Districts at the same Dunedin ground from Saturday; and the Central Stags will meanwhile finish their summer by hosting the Aces in a dead rubber in Palmerston North. 

The Wellington Firebirds host Canterbury at the Cello Basin Reserve, with up to 20 points available in each match, including eight first innings bonus points that can be accrued by both sides.

Points at a glance after Round Seven of Eight

89 Northern Districts

82 Wellington Firebirds

80 Canterbury

62 Central Stags

• Auckland Aces, Otago Volts – match still in progress.

• The Stags, Aces and Volts are now all out of contention for the title after the results so far in Round Seven.

2024/25 Plunket Shield Round Eight

10.30am 

Saturday, 29 March to Tuesday, 1 April 2025

At the Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington

Wellington Firebirds (1) v Canterbury (3)

At University of Otago Oval, Dunedin

Otago Volts v Northern Districts (3)

At Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North

Central Stags v Auckland Aces

All matches are free admission, and livescored and livestreamed at NZC.nz/NZC YouTube and on the NZC app

SCORECARDS and LIVESCORES ALL MATCHES

RECENT CHAMPIONS

2023/24  Wellington Firebirds

2022/23  Central Stags
2021/22  Auckland Aces
2020/21  Canterbury
2019/20  Wellington Firebirds
2018/19  Central Stags
2017/18  Central Stags
2016/17  Canterbury
2015/16  Auckland Aces
2014/15  Canterbury 
2013/14  Canterbury
2012/13  Central Stags
2011/12  Northern Districts
2010/11  Canterbury 
2009/10  Northern Districts