Wellington, March 13 NZPA - A magnificent unbeaten ton by in-form teenager Kane Williamson has helped Northern Districts take a stranglehold of their Plunket Shield four-day cricket match against Auckland at Whangarei today.

Having secured first innings points after surpassing Auckland's first innings score of 227, Northern resume tomorrow at 348 for seven.

Williamson, coming off a career-high 170 in last week's match against Wellington, was 163 not out at stumps.

The 19-year-old was given a life on 88 when he was dropped by Tim McIntosh in the gully and he went on to craft three solid partnerships.

Competition leaders Northern, resuming this morning at 36 for two, were in trouble at 52 for three but Williamson and Hamish Marshall, 57, steadied the ship with a 123-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Skipper James Marshall, 40, helped put on 101 runs for the sixth wicket with Williamson.

At close, Peter McGlashan, unbeaten on 25, had added another 61 runs to the total in tandem with Williamson.

Auckland skipper Richard Jones resorted to using nine bowlers as he tried to remove the obdurate Williamson without success.

Michael Bates, two for 40, Gareth Shaw, two for 71 and Anaru Kitchen, two for 31, shared the honours but they have their work cut out tomorrow as Williamson eyes a double century.