Central Stags 225-3 in 20 overs (Will Young 89, Tom Bruce 71) beat Canterbury Kings 207-4 in 20 overs (Tom Latham 110, Cole McConchie 48) by 18 runs at McLean Park, Napier.
432 runs scored for seven wickets tells the story of this match - Will Young (89) and Tom Bruce (71 from just 30 balls) helped the Stags to a formidable 225-3, while Tom Latham (110) scored the first BK Super Smash ton this season to give the chase a tremendous lash.
After losing George Worker to a diving Tom Latham slip catch in the first over, the Stags demoralised the Kings' attack with sweet hitting, making the most of a belting McLean Park deck.
Dean Foxcroft (50) and Will Young (89) put on 109 for the second wicket, cutting and pulling powerfully, and hitting long down the ground, after returning from a short interval for sun strike in the batsmens' eyeline in the opening overs.
There was no let up after Foxcroft mistimed a Kyle Jamieson short ball and was caught by Cole McConchie - Tom Bruce (71) was unrelenting, taking three sixes and nine fours in a whirlwind innings of just 30 balls.
Matt Henry bowled Bruce in the last over, but the damage had been done by then, as the Kings faced a chase of 226 to win.
Latham overcame some horrendous luck up until now in the Super Smash to record the first century of the season from just 57 balls. He was severe on any width and went at a strike rate of over 200 for most of his innings.
When batting with Henry Nicholls (20) and Cole McConchie (48 from 25), it looked as though the massive chase was on, but momentum fell away in the face of some fine death bowling - McConchie was caught on the rope in the 16th, Latham was caught in the last over and in the end, there was too much left to do.
The Stags consolidate second place on the table while the Kings still look to turn some fine performances into wins.
