Neesham stars for Firebirds
Jimmy Neesham’s second oneday century has led the Wellington Firebirds into the Ford Trophy final.
They will face his former team, the Otago Volts, in Dunedin on Saturday in the decider, after beating the Auckland Aces by three wickets in the elimination final yesterday.
Neesham finished not out on 120 off 107 balls at Eden Park Outer Oval, having arrived at the crease in the 18th over with the Firebirds 86-3 chasing 237 to win.
They were never behind the eight-ball but did lose wickets at regular intervals, which made for a closer contest than they would have liked. Neesham finished the chase in style, hitting Danru Ferns for six over the leg side in the 49th over.
The Aces were in trouble immediately after their captain Craig Cachopa won the toss and chose to bat, losing Ben Horne for two in the second over and Sean Solia for one in the fourth, both caught off the bowling of Ollie Newton, by Michael Bracewell at cover and wicketkeeper Lauchie Johns respectively.
Cachopa himself then went in the sixth, LBW to Newton for 15, and the right-arm seamer grabbed a fourth when he got danger man Colin Munro to nick one behind, leaving Auckland 44-4 with two balls remaining in the 10th over.
Neesham joined the party, strangling Mark Chapman down the leg side for 14, but from 58-5, the Aces began to mount a fightback, through Rob O’Donnell and Graeme Beghin.
The pair shared in a 115-run stand for the sixth wicket before
By then, Neesham was beginning to take control of the chase, and made his way past 50 as he was joined by Malcolm Nofal, who took 28 balls to scratch his way to eight before giving Munro a return catch.
McEwan removed new man Peter Younghusband for a duck, setting up a tense finish, as the Firebirds still needed 57 runs off 67 balls with just four wickets in hand.
Neesham brought up his century in the 45th over, sweeping Ronnie Hira to the deep square leg boundary, but lost Johns three balls later, run out for six. From there, Neesham took full control, and though he offered up half a chance with 12 still required, the Firebirds reached their target with 11 balls to spare.