The result leaves Southern's status for the final between the top two teams next month uncertain after it beat Central in the first match. In the final round-robin games starting on Monday, Southern faces Bangladesh in Dunedin, while Northern and Central clash in Auckland.

Southern, set 276 to win, eventually succumbed for 190, a better effort than its paltry first-innings performance of 109, but well shy of the winning target.

No batsman was able to dominate and the big innings or partnership Southern needed was not forthcoming.

Southern's best hope, after another shaky start, came when Mark Richardson teamed with Chris Gaffaney to provide a brief period of dominance, adding 55 for the fifth wicket. However, even when the odd batsman made headway a chance had usually been grassed earlier.

Richardson, after flirting with danger at the start of his innings, settled and became Southern's chief hope when he posted a half-century. Included in his innings was a rare seven, scored when, after running three, the ball went for four overthrows after an attempted run out. When he fell seventh out, Southern's slim hopes were extinguished.

The Northern bowlers produced a complete performance with spoils shared. Tall Auckland new-ball bowlers Kerry Walmsley and Chris Drum mustered lively pace, Dion Nash chipped in to bowl Martyn Croy not playing a shot, and left-arm spinners Matthew Hart and Mark Haslam were always demanding.

Earlier, Northern had extended its advantage, with the final three wickets producing 80 runs.

Hart and Walmsley made batting look a more straightforward job than previously, adding 56 for the ninth wicket, the highest stand of the match.

Hart, the top scorer in Northern's first innings, again played assuredly with hardly a false stroke until his dismissal for 66, having batted 196 minutes with seven fours.

Walmsley reached an unbeaten 39, easily his highest first-class score, before lively left-arm pace bowler David Sewell closed the Northern innings with a deserved fifth wicket.