Australia-born pace bowler Dane Hutchinson hogged the limelight on the third day of Wellington's Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts in Hamilton on Saturday.
Against an ND team boasting five Black Caps, Hutchinson's hat-trick wrapped up his first-ever five wicket haul with 5-116 as Wellington reached 206-4 to take a 44-run lead into the final day.
Hutchinson took the wicket of Tim Southee with the last ball of the 145th over before dismissing Mitchell Santner and Jimmy Baker at the start of the 147th over to bowl Northern out for 429 in reply to Wellington's opening 267.
Opener Daniel Flynn (102) and Bharat Popli (91) top scored for ND, with Black Caps Kane Williamson (65) and BJ Watling (89) providing support.
In Napier, Central Districts took control against Otago as they racked up 650-8 dec in answer to Otago's 352 all out.
Opener Ben Smith was in superb form, reaching his maiden first-class double century in making 244 off 368 balls before he was trapped lbw by Nick Beard.
Ross Taylor was measured in reaching 48, while Doug Bracewell - who had grabbed 5-67 the day before - chipped in with 24 off 29 balls.
Black Caps off spinner Mark Craig worked hard in collecting 2-164, including the valuable wicket of George Worker for 129.
At Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland and Canterbury ended day three evenly poised and Canterbury holds a 99-run lead with five wickets in hand.
Auckland were all out for 316 in reply to Canterbury's 149 with Colin de Grandhomme top-scoring with 70 after early wickets left Auckland teetering at 50-3 following Martin Guptill's dismissal for 32.
Canterbury were 264-5 at stumps on day three. Black Caps opener Tom Latham was trapped lbw by Donovan Grobbelaar for 21 while Leo Carter topped the scoring with a slow but steady 79.
NZN