An astonishing innings from Colin Munro booked the Mondiale Auckland Aces a spot at the Georgie Pie Super Smash Finals next weekend.
Scorecard
Munro bashed a stunning 82 from 39 balls against the SKYCITY Northern Knights, leading the Aces to a 47-run victory.
He had support from BLACKCAPS opener Martin Guptill, who looked composed and classy making a 46-ball 63 to anchor the start of the innings.
Guptill was the man who got the visitors off to a strong start at Seddon Park, smashing a six and a four off Anton Devcich’s opening over.
Opening partner Jeet Raval fell early, but Guptill found solid support in Rob Nicol (29 from 25 balls), combining for a 52-run stand to set up the Aces' innings.
When Nicol fell to the bowling of Devcich at 74/2 in the 10th over, it only brought the belligerent Munro to the crease — who has had a storming Georgie Pie Super Smash season.
Munro came into the clash with a mind-boggling strike rate of 179, yet managed to substantially increase it to 186 in a knock which included eight fours and five sixes.
As Guptill took a secondary role with his clean, crisp and straight hitting, Munro gathered steam, bringing up 50 from 25 balls and accelerating from there — with even mishits travelling the distance as his powerful strokeplay bludgeoned the Knights' attack.
Only the ever-improving Ish Sodhi avoided the punishment, bowling four excellent overs for 22.
Guptill departed with two overs to go, but Munro hung around and even got within touching distance of an improbable hundred.
However, needing 18 from five balls to make the rapid ton, he got too fancy, trying to bat right-handed and switch-hit Knights import bowler Timm Van der Gugten, only to be bowled.
The Aces ended on 191/4, a total which the Knights never came close to matching.
The early dismissal of the dangerous Devcich and his opening partner Daniel Flynn had the Aces on top from the get-go as the required run rate quickly climbed into double digits.
Kevin O’Brien and Corey Anderson combined to take 19 off Michael Bates’s opening over, but O’Brien was dismissed in the following over by Tarun Nethula to dull the short burst of optimism.
Anderson’s innings was action-packed.
He suffered a nasty blow to the foot which had him hobbling, but he stayed in the game to offer a stand-and-deliver hitting clinic — blasting three sixes in a row from Nethula’s bowling.
However, once he was caught in the deep for 39 from 22 balls, the Knights’ chase crumbled, the hosts eventually dismissed for 154.
The Aces have now qualified for next week’s finals at Yarrow Stadium, while the SBS Otago Volts are also all but secure due to their excellent net run rate.
The Knights now have to beat the Volts at Mount Maunganui tomorrow and hope their net run rate is superior to the winner of the Canterbury Kings v Devon Hotel Central Stags clash, as both victors would end on 22 points in that scenario.
Super Smash Sunday begins from 3pm in Auckland (Aces v Firebirds, Eden Park Outer Oval, 3.10pm. LIVE one SKY Sport), Mount Maunganui (Knights v Volts, Bay Oval) and Christchurch (Kings v Stags, Hagley Oval). Only three teams will contest Finals weekend in New Plymouth.
