Superb Bruce fires Stags to victory over Firebirds

The Central Stags remained clinical at the death to beat the Wellington Firebirds by nine runs in their domestic Twenty20 Super Smash cricket match on Sunday.

A superb 74-run innings by Tom Bruce had helped set up the Stags’ total of 181-5 before eventually restricting the Firebirds to 172-6 at Nelson’s Saxton Oval.

Seamer Jade Dernbach had earlier gotten the Firebirds off to a magnificent start when he removed the middle stump of

Stags’ batting star Mahela Jayawardene for five in just the second over at 6-1.

It left fellow opener George Worker and Stags skipper Will Young the responsibility of laying some sort of foundation, their 40-run partnership ended when Grant Elliott (2-34) also bowled Worker for 15 at 46-2 in the seventh over. And when Young was well caught at long-off by Evan Gulbis off Luke Woodcock for 26 four balls later, the Firebirds had made some important early inroads at 46-3.

Tom Bruce hoisted Elliott for two consecutive sixes over midwicket followed by a four through gully to signal a positive response.

Dane Cleaver (15) brought up the Stags’ 100 with an edged boundary off Dernbach in the 13th over, but his 61-run stand with Bruce was ended by Elliott at 107-4 in the next over to another fine catch by Gulbis on the boundary.

Bruce blasted a boundary straight back past seamer Gulbis to post his 50 off 26 balls in the 15th over and had reached 74 off just 41 balls when he offered a return catch to offspinner Jeetan Patel at 165-5 in the final over. Bruce hit eight fours and three sixes.

Ben Wheeler blasted 15 runs off four balls to leave Josh Clarkson unbeaten on 27 at the close.

Hamish Marshall and Mark Papps got the Firebirds off to a flier in their reply, Papps cutting Ryan Mccone for four to bring up 50 runs in just the fifth over. However, Blair Tickner made the critical breaktrhough in the very next over, removing Papps for 27 off 21 balls at 55-1.

The quick dismissals of both Stephen Murdoch (9) and dangerman Luke Ronchi (2) at 78-3 signalled a slight momentum shift. Elliott’s departure for 15 at 103-4 in the 13th over ended a potentially threatening partnership with Marshall as the signs began to look even more positive for the Stags.

Marshall remained steadfast, posting his 50 off 35 balls before lobbing the easiest of return catches to left-arm spinner George Worker two balls later, gone for 52 at 113-5.

Two big sixes over midwicket by Michael Pollard off Wheeler left the Firebirds requiring 49 runs off the last four overs. But, with the Firebirds needing 29 off the last two overs, Wheeler gave the Stags a massive boost by bowling Pollard for 22 at 153-6, with 26 still needed off the final over.

They inevitably fell short, Luke Woodcock finishing unbeaten on 26.