As four seasons in one day and wisps from a rolling seafog — substantial enough to close Wellington Airport — skimmed across the Basin, the Mondiale Auckland Aces easily chased down 200 to clinch a significant victory over the Firebirds, with 11 overs to spare.
The result means the embattled Firebirds now have their backs to the wall, requiring a bonus point win from the final round this Wednesday plus a favour from other teams, to make the Finals. And, they will have to travel to Invercargill to do it.
Meanwhile, after back-to-back losses to Canterbury, the Aces got their Ford Trophy season back on the rails with a solid victory.
The chase was fortified once again by opener Brad Cachopa, who breezed his way to 85.
The dependable run machine poured on a demoralising 142 for the first wicket with Michael Guptill-Bunce (66), until finally — after almost two hours, Anurag Verma broke through to have Guptill-Bunce caught.
It was the first of trio of late afternoon wickets.
Shawn Hicks (above) departed a few overs later, then this season's most prolific Cachopa finding himself caught by his brother.
But even then, as the teams traded blows with more than a dozen overs to go, the Aces were not about to feel flustered.
Colin de Grandhomme, who had earlier bowled a full set of 10 overs to return a career best 4-37, kept the scoreboard ticking with Robbie O’Donnell to find the last 30-odd runs to take the Aces to a seven-wicket victory.
Like playing in Kowloon: a sea fog rolls across a warm Basin
Earlier, the Firebirds had decided on a bat first up, but de Grandhomme's flurry went a long way to restricting them to 199 — and this despite a half century from opener Michael Pollard, who top-scored with 51.
The rest of the home order was sent packing, save for a stubborn, ninth-wicket record stand for the Firebirds against the Aces between Luke Woodcock (47) and pace bowler Dane Hutchinson (a career best 35 off 43).
It wasn't the first time Woodcock had been forced into a rescue mission at the Basin this summer: the richly experienced rearguard scored his maiden Ford Trophy century here, trying to save it against the Devon Hotel Central Stags.
But this time there would be no such consolation as Aces quick bowler Lockie Ferguson, returning from a back niggle that kept him out of the previous round, contributed 3-46.
Ferguson crucially stopping both Woodcock and Hutchinson in their stride, Woodcock having held the fort for more than an hour and a half after the Firebirds had teetered at 117/8.
Michael Barry had picked up a decent maiden List A wicket earlier in proceedings, Stephen Murdoch caught on 11.
Will it be the red or green light for the Firebirds from the last round?
Round eight, the last of the Ford Trophy round robin, takes place this Wednesday 20 January. As the Firebirds head south to try to save their skin, the Aces have returned home to sultrier climes with a confidence boost.
They will host the formidable Stags at Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland, in a direct contest for the second to top qualifying spot on the table.
All matches start at 11am and are livescored at blackcaps.co.nz; entry at Eden Park is great value with just a gold coin donation getting you in the gate.
