Super Smash Sunday saw three smashing encounters as the heat goes on all teams to make the 2015 Georgie Pie Super Smash Finals. Playing to a crowded University Oval, the Canterbury Kings upset their hosts and kept their playoff prospects alive with a 23-run win against the table-topping SBS Bank Otago Volts in Dunedin.
Young Kings opener Cameron Fletcher top-scored with 61 from 56 balls, his maiden Georgie Pie Super Smash half century helping, in no small way, his side to post 152 for eight on a wicket which was perhaps just holding a touch.
Henry Nicholls has been one of the form batsmen of the season
Henry Nicholls looked in magnificent touch, getting through to 39 from 28 deliveries. He perished to a wonderful catch from Nathan McCullum, who scampered back 30 metres from his spot at mid on to take the catch near the long on boundary.
That dismissal put a grenade under the bowler, Warren Barnes, who, later in the same over, bowled both Peter Fulton and Ronnie Hira with fabulous and consecutive yorkers.
Andrew Ellis survived the hat-trick ball and went on to score 37 from 27 deliveries in a valuable cameo.
Ellis steadied the ship again
Fletcher went as close as possible to carrying his bat. He was run out returning for a second run on the last ball of the innings when Brad Wilson hit the stumps from 60 metres away in the last act of the Kings' innings.
Captain Hira then got in the way of a successful Volts chase, with four for 18.
Anaru Kitchen was the first to fall victim to the left-arm spinner. He tried to cut a delivery too close to his body and was bowled.
The Volts slumped to 29 for three before Jimmy Neesham (24, in his first Volts appearance of the season following his return from Australia) and Neil Broom (39) added 48 for the fourth wicket.
But Neesham holed out to Hira, and the 28-year-old was back in the action in the 13th over when he bowled both McCullum and Broom.
McCullum tried to swipe the ball legside and Broom advanced past the delivery.
Broom's departure left the Volts with too much to do. Wicketkeeper Derek de Boorder swatted 24 from 19 deliveries, but his side was restricted to 129 for nine as they struggled to connect with the ball at the death.
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