Stags go back-to-back to jump into contention

The Stags are on the charge.

Three days after blasting past the Volts in Napier, the Stags backed up in Christchurch to polish off the Kings by six wickets in the men’s Twenty20 Super Smash yesterday.

It saw last year’s beaten finalists move up to second on the ladder after six of the 10 rounds, six points behind defending champions the Knights who look awfully hard to topple again after a 12-run win over the Firebirds in Wellington on Saturday.

Again the quicks did the job for the Stags who welcomed back Friday’s Black Caps man of the match Doug Bracewell and restricted the Kings to 112-8 amid the rain showers at Hagley Oval.

The allrounder took a tidy 1-17 off his four overs as the towering figure of Blair Tickner snared 3-15 and Seth Rance backed him up with 2-19.

The Kings’ innings never got going as they slumped to 41-6, after skipper Cole McConchie opted to bat first.

Returning Black Cap Tom Latham (18 off 17) was one of Tickner’s victims while legspinner Todd Astle made a welcome return from injury as he bids for a World Cup spot.

Astle’s 25 off 27 was top score for the last-placed Kings in a meek batting effort, as the Stags held their catches superbly.

Astle (1-21) and Kyle Jamieson (2-20) were both good with the ball and the Stags didn’t find it easy with the bat, either, chasing an elementary total.

Captain Tom Bruce steadied the ship with a second handy knock in three days, ending 45 not out off 31 balls to avert any heart flutters for the visitors.

In Dunedin, rain denied the fifth-placed Aces a chance to make a move, with returning Black Caps opener Martin Guptill doused in full flight.

Guptill cleared the rope three times in his unbeaten 62 off 37 balls against the Volts before rain ended the contest at 117-1 off 11 overs.

Guptill and fellow international Glenn Phillips (43 off 23) blasted 107 off 9.4 overs for the second wicket after the early departure of Colin Munro for nine, bowled by Jacob Duffy.