The Canterbury Kings will contest their sixth consecutive Super Smash Grand Final tomorrow, at their home ground against top qualifier Northern Brave, after having trounced the higher ranked Auckland Aces this evening at Hagley Oval.
The Kings’ disciplined bowling attack outclassed their opponent who crumbled for just 106 in 18.4 overs.
Captain Cole McConchie returned an influential 3/20 and Fraser Sheat a sharp career best 3/13 while in the chase, marking his 100th T20 match for the Kings, opener Chad Bowes powered to an unbeaten 59*off 31 balls to ensure the Kings won by 9 wickets, with a whopping 9.3 overs overs to spare.
The Kings now have another chance to win the competition they have not won since its inception two decades ago in 2005/06.
All images: PHOTOSPORT
At 40/4 after the power play, it’s fair to say the Auckland Aces’ Elimination Final against the Canterbury Kings did not start well.
Their captain Sean Solia had won the toss, but a succession of early calamities soon had the second qualifiers on the back foot.
They were up against the hungriest team in the competition, the Kings no stranger to an Elimination Final and disciplined on their home ground on the big occasion - deservedly going on to book their spot in yet another Super Smash Grand Final.
The Kings put themselves in the box seat by bowling out the Aces in 18.4 overs, for just 107.
Fraser Sheat enticed an early skied return catch from Dale Phillips — a crucial initial breakthrough that got the ball rolling, as they say, as he led from the top.
Fraser Sheat.
Ace Phillips had already slapped a six as he and Colin Munro peeled 18 runs off Michael Rae’s second over of the innings.
Then Chad Bowes’s deadly arm — Bowes coming back from injury for this match and now playing his 100th T20 cap match for the Kings, brilliantly ran out Adam Jones.
Very next ball of that Rae over, the big pace bowler did the work himself, getting the pivotal wicket of Munro who holed out for just 12.
Big moment.
Sean Davey promptly got another key wicket in Lachie Stackpole, the younger of the left-handers fresh off blitzing his maiden Super Smash fifty in the previous game against the Stags in Auckland.
Stackpole never got a chance to get going this time, as Henry Nicholls held on to a chance in the deep.
Batting at six, captain Solia would not have been planning on entering the fray in the sixth over, but the Aces at least had his experience to call on as a veteran top order man (floating down the order this summer) and able to steady a ship.
The Kings had been rewarded for consistent, tight work, canny variations well executed, and should have been able to dictate terms from that point.
Rhys Harrison and Solia kept turning the strike over as they looked to settle and rebuild, but it meant four overs slipped by without a boundary, and at the halfway mark the Aces were not in a healthy position at 58/4.
Calamity struck again just a couple of overs later, Solia looking to give himself room against opposing skipper Cole McConchie only to hear the stumps crashing behind him.
Off-spinner McConchie would finish with an influential 3/20, but he had excellent support from his pace contingent throughout.
The Auckland Hearts had already won their Elimination Final earlier in the day, but Auckland hopes were already fading rapidly in terms of a double navy blue Grand Finals day.
Harrison eked out his T20 career best 30 (previous PB: an unbeaten 21*), but the Aces had needed their top guns to do the job, and now the line-up was exposed and under pressure.
Sheat (a T20 career best 3/13), Rae (2/39) and McConchie kept the wickets coming: their batters would be left with a tame chase at less than a run a ball to win.
The Kings made a power start with the bat, 31 coming off the first 14 balls before Tom Latham fell.
Destructive Bowes had done most of the striking.
He went on to survive a missed stumping on his milestone day, along with Nicholls, off Adi Ashok, Phillips keeping wicket for regular Aces keeper Cam Fletcher who remained in Auckland with a child due.
Looking in total control otherwise, clinical Bowes smashed his 50 off just 25 balls, fittingly with a boundary.
It wasn’t the Aces’ night — but it certainly was his. The lights barely had a chance to get warmed up.
The Kings needed their last 21 runs off 11 overs at just 1.91 per over, and won with almost half the innings to spare.
So the hosts now progress to their sixth consecutive Grand Final, on their home turf — will it be successful, this time?
All Finals matches this Friday and Saturday at Hagley Oval are live and free to air on TVNZ+ and Duke on NZ screens, with livescores at nzc.nz and on the NZC app.
Sport Nation will also broadcast audio commentary of the Finals.
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