Northern Districts, out of sorts in the sunshine that accompanied Auckland's two cricket Max wins on Thursday and Friday, found a wintry winning style as they outplayed Auckland by eight wickets while persistent light rain fell and the light became progressively worse at Cornwall Park today.

These alien conditions demanded some special skill from the winners, and Northern Districts could look with special pride at two batting feats which nonplussed the normally confident Aucklanders.

Pursuing the Auckland first innings of 127 for five wickets, Northern Districts muddled along until Robbie Hart, their captain, and Joseph Yovich counter-attacked so brilliantly they had an unfinished stand of 81 from 22 balls, Hart scored 56 from 14 balls and ND stretched out a lead of 25.

Neither bowling side could work confidently in the rain and murk, and Auckland scored solidly in their second innings of 154 for five wickets.

This left ND chasing 130 and in effect the weather was so bad they might have been batting in a dripping tunnel.

Yet Mark Bailey, called but seldom used by the national selectors, played an innings of mid-summer magnificence.

He started 6,2,4,4,4,1 in Chris Drum's first over, lost Hart as a partner at 33 for one, but continued his murderous attack on the Auckland bowlers, who this time were not supported by the brilliant catching which marked their win on Friday.

While Michael Parlane worked away in comparative quiet at the other end Bailey kept showing his superb timing, especially when he coolly clipped the first three balls from a Heath Davis over for six over the mid-wicket boundary.

The double-run awards for scoring into or over the "Max" zones at the end of the field sometimes give artificial results. Not with Bailey. He scored all his 67 runs from traditional means, including four fours and six sixes from the 22 balls he faced.

After gaining a first innings lead while losing the first match at Kaipara Flats last Thursday, ND entered today's game 1-7 behind on points (one for the first innings lead, three for the eventual win). Bailey led them to a four-point win today, giving ND a 5-7 status going into the remaining matches in this elimination series at Te Awamutu on Tuesday and Whakatane on Thursday.

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