Can anyone stop the defending title-holders now from motoring into the Finals? Canterbury powered to its fifth consecutive Ford Trophy win today, with back-to-back Ford Trophy centuries for Tom Latham.
Meanwhile in Napier, the Central Stags strengthened their hold on second in round seven of the national one-dayers, while a Firebirds fillip in Dunedin saw the Wellingtonians bounce back quickly from the previous round's defeat and hike up to third - overtaking the Auckland Aces.
It all left the Otago Volts wondering what they have to do to get a win this season, still without a song after seven rounds.
Ford Trophy frontrunner Canterbury will have particularly relished trouncing Northern Districts by eight wickets after the two Super Smash Grand Finalists met again for the first time since Northern claimed that T20 title, at the Canterbury side's expense.
Canterbury rolled ND for 148 in 42.5 overs, Henry Cooper top-scoring with just 30 as captain Robbie O'Donnell chalked up his 100th List A appearance (all teams) with one to pretty much forget - he fell on 23 to a good caught and bowled by Cole McConchie.
The wickets were shared around all five of Canterbury's bowling attack and as they set off in the chase, it was one of the rare occasions this season that Henry Nicholls missed out.
The lauded left-hander went first ball of the innings to Scott Kuggeleijn, but ND would not strike again for 15 overs - by which time the hosts had settled in at 75/1, a good chunk of the target already accounted for.
Latham was clinical as he seized control of the 159-run chase with an unbeaten 103* off 97 deliveries, the BLACKCAP’s 13th one-day century and fifth for Canterbury in a bonus-point victory.
A tight bowling performance all-round meanwhile saw the Stags sweep aside the Aces in Napier, Dean Foxcroft top-scoring with 56 in another comfortable chase to help secure a five-wicket win.
It was a special day for the Stags in the Napier sunshine: both Josh Clarkson and Dane Cleaver were also marking their 100th List A games, and Cleaver now needed just one more wicketkeeping dismissal to hold the Stags one-day dismissals record outright - having equalled Bevan Grigg's Stags record of 116 in the previous victory in Wellington.
For a while, it looked as though wickets would fall to everyone but the keeper as the tight Stags attack scythed through the Aces' line-up, aided by runouts from both the deadly arm of Will Young and Dean Foxcroft, but the keeper finally got to pouch the record catch as he dismissed Harjot Johal, the ninth wicket to fall, off Brett Randell.
Central captain Jayden Lennox used seven bowlers including himself, and not one of them went for more than five an over.
Randell set the tone at the top, opening the day with a wicket maiden and finishng with 3/24 off his 10.
Lennox had the luxury of bowling Blair Tickner as fourth change, his four overs conceding just nine runs. And so it went on.
Bevon Jacobs was the only batter who looked to threaten the Stags, whacking a couple of sixes in his 47 - but by his standards, even that knock was taciturn.
All out on the last ball, Auckland set the Stags a straightforward chase and while five wickets were peppered through the reply, they just didn't come quickly enough to stop the Central machine winning with a bonus, and Cleaver's 47 and a half century from Foxcroft made sure of it.
In Dunedin, paceman Liam Dudding’s career best 4/31 helped the Wellington Firebirds to continue the Volts' miseries this season.
The Volts have yet to chalk up a win after seven rounds this season, and they couldn't get close to Wellington's 269/9.
The Firebirds built their total on a series of contributions across the order, Nick Greenwood carrying on his good form with a fifty at the top, at a good clip - 54 off just 25 balls; and captain Nick Kelly top-scoring with 81.
Tom Blundell's 41 added some handy ballast and, although Matt Bacon (3/43) and Danru Ferns (1/59) mopped up fairly quickly once those obstacles were out, it was a good total on a fairly dour, overcast Dunedin day.
In the chase, Dudding took care of the top order all by himself, and captain Luke Georgeson's 52 was sorely needed by the hosts.
Jesse Tashkoff's introduction led to more calamity for the Volts as he picked up a three-for, and it was left to Ben Lockrose (32) and Ferns (30) to stage a lower order comeback to keep their side in the game for 13 or so overs.
James Hartshorn broke their 50-run stand in the 44th and Dudding struck again next over; after that it was all over fairly quickly.
The top three sides after 10 rounds progress to Finals in Wellington later this month, and the next round couls see the first finalist inked in.
Invercargill gets set to host its Otago Volts and Canterbury in Tuesday's eighth round southern derby, while the Stags are away to ND in Hamilton and the Aces host the Firebirds in Auckland, looking to get back up the ladder before its too late in a key midtable clash.
All matches are free admission and livestreamed on NZC YouTube from 10.30am.
Points at a glance after 7/10 rounds (regular season)
28 Canterbury
23 Central Stags
17 Wellington Firebirds
14 Auckland Aces
12 Northern Districts
2 Otago Volts
ROUND 7 RESULTS
• At McLean Park, Napier
Central Stags 164/5 beat Auckland Aces 163 by 5 wickets
Central Stags: bonus point win (5 points)
• At MainPower Oval, Christchurch
Canterbury 162/2 beat Northern Districts 158 by 8 wickets
Canterbury: bonus point win (5 points)
• At University of Otago Oval, Dunedin
Otago Volts 213 lost to Wellington Firebirds 269/9 by 56 runs
Wellington Firebirds: bonus point win (5 points)
