After earning hosting rights to Sunday's final with a convincing win over Central Districts in the preliminary final last week, Auckland fell apart in the re-match handing the visitors their fifth 50-over title.
Chasing 272 for victory, Auckland fell 78 runs short. It would have looked much worse if not for an 81-run ninth wicket partnership by Donovan Grobbelaar (45) and Michael Bates (43). But when your number eight and ten batsmen top your scoring, clearly things haven't gone to plan.
Auckland were somewhat cruising at 49 for one in the eighth over before Bevan Small dismissed Brad and Carl Cachopa in successive deliveries.
Small, who finished with 3-41, and Andrew Mathieson (4-22) tore through the Auckland batting lineup as the hosts lost eight wickets for just 61 runs.
At 110 for eight, Grobbelaar and Bates occupied the crease for 10 overs and gave at least any remaining optimistic Auckland fans hope of a comeback victory.
However, Mathieson broke the partnership and those slim hopes with the wicket of Grobbelaar, taking his season total to 31 wickets and breaking the record by Graeme Aldridge's record for most in a domestic one-day season.
Doug Bracewell dismissed Matt Quinn three overs later to secure the title for Central and with it a worthy ending to the career of veteran opener Jamie How.
How finished his 16-year first class career as a winner after the 33-year-old earlier failed to make the most of his final innings -- out for a golden duck in the first over of the Central innings. It got worse for the visitors in the next over when George Worker, the highest run scorer in the competition, was caught behind for two leaving Central three for two.
But Will Young (45) and Kruger van Wyk (53) slowly got the the Central innings back on track before some hard hitting from the middle and lower order saw Central post 271 for seven.
Dane Cleaver (51 from 39), along with Kieran Noema-Barnett (46 from 52) upped the run-rate before some late heavy hitting by Doug Bracewell (24 from 18) and Bevan Small (29 from 12). Donovan Grobbelaar was the pick of the Auckland bowlers with 2-38 while fellow Michael Bates who deserved much more than his 2-65 from 10 overs.
The Auckland innings followed a similar pattern but with a middle-order batsman needed to take charge and re-right the ship -- no one took the wheel.
