Aces trump Kings in T20
Reigning Super Smash champion Auckland ended Canterbury’s hopes of domestic T20 glory last summer and also dented their play-off hopes in the formative stages of the new competition by closing out a six-wicket wicket victory in Christchurch on Sunday.
After restricting a tentative Canterbury to 133-6 after the hosts opted to bat first, Auckland – who eliminated their traditional rivals in the finals series last season – reached their target with clinical efficiency at Hagley Oval.
While Canterbury’s batting line-up struggled to gain any traction on a pitch that initially appeared challenging for stroke play, the Aces top order were punishing and precise to remain unbeaten after two rounds.
Auckland reached 134-4 with the last ball of the penultimate over after the loss of three wickets for eight runs gave Canterbury a brief glimmer of hope before debutant Ben Horne – the son of former Black Caps opener Phil – guided the Aces home.
Former Canterbury representative Rob Nicol set the tone with a rapid 16 while fellow opener Glenn Phillips, who complied 50 at a run-a-ball, blossomed after his partner fell to a superb caught and bowled by Andrew Ellis.
Phillips posted 100 in 78 balls for the second wicket with Black Caps opener Jeet Raval, who contributed a perfectly paced 44 from 35 balls studded by a half dozen boundaries.
Their stand emphasised the disparity between the sides.
‘‘They didn’t take too many risks and their running between the wickets was far superior to us. I thought we were a little bit tentative at times between the wickets,’’ said Canterbury assistant coach Brendon Donkers.
‘‘We were short by probably 20-25 runs.
‘‘There was a period there where we were summing up the conditions of the wicket. It was a touch on the slow side and whether we took too long to adapt to that. Auckland certainly knew what they were going to get [pitch conditions] when they got out there. There was a slight advantage there.’’
Canterbury had been bolstered by the inclusion of three Black Caps – Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls and Todd Astle – who returned home on Saturday from New Zealand’s disappointing concession of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy – but that injection was immaterial.
Latham, who made 34 runs at 11.33 in Australia, and Nicholls – he scored three in his only outing at the MCG on Friday – were made available in a bid to gain more time in the middle while leg spinner Astle [0-27 from four] did not feature in the three-match series.
Cam Fletcher and Latham made a sedate start by T20 standards before Donovan Grobbelaar had 17 taken off his only over as Canterbury improved to 33 after five.
The duo carried the score to 53 before Latham effectively ran himself out on 22; Chad Bowes and Peter Fulton also departed cheaply in quick succession, tasking Fletcher and Nicholls to up the ante.
Fletcher holed out on 43 [44 balls] in the 16th over but Nicholls persevered with a mixture of textbook and unorthodox strokes to be unbeaten on 39 from 27.
Nicholls matched Latham by striking three fours and a six – Canterbury only recorded eight boundaries in their innings to underscore a tight bowling display where Grobbelaar was the only aberration.
Left-arm spinner Chapman spearheaded the attack with a career-best 3-22 from four overs while leggie Tarun Nethula was the only other wicket taker.
Canterbury, who lost their rainaffected campaign opener to the Central Stags last weekend, next host Wellington at Hagley Oval on Thursday.
Donkers was hopeful Black Caps pace bowler Matt Henry would be available.
Meanwhile the Central Stags might be thinking they’ll be lucky to get through a full match of the Super Smash competition in Taranaki this summer, and you can’t blame them.
After rain saw their round one match against Canterbury shortened, the weather again played a factor when they hosted the Northern Knights at New Plymouth’s Yarrow Stadium on Saturday night with the match washed out after the mid-way point.
The Stags still have two matches remaining in New Plymouth, against Otago on Dec 21 and Canterbury again on Dec 31.