Wellington, March 6 NZPA - Northern Districts have one hand on the Plunket Shield after another Wellington tale of cricketing woe today allowed the competition leaders to surge clear with three rounds remaining.

Northern crushed the hosts by nine wickets midway through the third day at the Basin Reserve, with Wellington's combustible batting exposed yet again.

The men from the capital have now suffered consecutive losses by nine wickets, 10 wickets, nine wickets and nine wickets, with today's collapse for 248 summing up their batting of late.

It left Northern -- who led by 207 runs on the first innings -- needing 42 to win, which they achieved in 7.1 overs. They reached 44 for one, losing test opener BJ Watling for 21 which allowed Kane Williamson to strike the winning runs. That was appropriate after the 19-year-old compiled a delightful career-best 170 yesterday, the highest score in the match by nearly 100 runs.

Resuming on 101 for two, Wellington's best batsman this summer -- Luke Woodcock -- was dismissed without adding to his overnight 13 but it preceded their highest partnership of the game between opener Neal Parlane and newcomer Stephen Murdoch.

They put on 68 before Parlane fell for 76, having added 25 today. Murdoch compiled 79 before falling to Graeme Aldridge, the veteran seamer taking three for 47 to add to his five-wicket bag in the first spell.

Brent Arnel took three for 51 and the two pacemen consistently unearthed life from a pitch that the Wellington seamers struggled to achieve.

With no final to be played this year, Northern are in a strong position to claim the Plunket Shield, with the winners to be decided through 10 rounds of round-robin play.

They were eight points clear before the seventh round of matches, which will see the two other games extend into the final day tomorrow.