Bracewell, Sears star for Firebirds
Michael Bracewell’s blistering knock and four wickets to youngster Ben Sears helped the Wellington Firebirds thrash the Canterbury Kings by 65 runs.
Elsewhere in the yesterday’s Super Smash action, the Northern Knights beat the Auckland Aces by two runs to move to the top of the standings, while Otago’s match against Central Districts was rained off.
At the Basin Reserve in Wellington, Firebirds opener Michael Bracewell produced one of the cleanest displays of hitting you’d ever hope to see to lead his side to 200-5 from their 20 overs.
His 69 off 34 balls included just seven runs that weren’t boundaries as the left-hander smashed seven big sixes and five fours.
Canterbury skipper Cole McConchie bowled Bracewell as he tried to cut off his leg stump with the first ball of the ninth over to take the score to 107-2.
The Firebirds’ innings stalled through the middle stages, but a well-compiled 54 off 33 balls from import Adam Hose and some late hitting from Logan van Beek (18 off 12) got them up to 200.
Firebirds captain Hamish Bennett crippled the Kings’ chase with two wickets in his first over, the second of the innings, removing Chad Bowes and former Firebird Stephen Murdoch.
Another two-wicket over, this time from youngster Ben Sears, in the sixth over reduced the Kings to 40-4, and from there they never recovered, even with McConchie smashing 83 off 52.
Sears proved difficult to get away, forcing Tyler Lortan to hole out in the deep in his next over. He finished with figures of 4-16 from four overs.
At Seddon Park in Hamilton, the Knights’ innings of 155-9 proved to be well paced.
Daryl Mitchell top-scored with 78 off 51, but it was a lone hand, with the next best batsman, Brett Hampton, scoring 23.
Aces bowler Mitchell McClenaghan removed both
openers before finishing with figures of 3-23 from three overs, while Donovan Grobbelaar took 3-29 from his four overs.
The chase got off to a poor start when Sean Solia ran out Englishman James Vince. Solia then played a curious innings of 20 off 36 balls, seemingly wanting to help setup a late charge at the total, but ultimately hamstrung his side.
Wickets fell at regular intervals as the Aces never looked like chasing down the modest total.
Scott Kuggeleijn was the pick of the Knights bowlers with 4-18 from four overs, including three wickets in four balls in his final over to mop up the Auckland Aces’ tail.
Auckland needed 34 off the final two overs. Will Somerville hit out, but his side were mathematically unable to win when he hit two sixes off the final two balls to finish with 37 off 16 balls.