When a match is decided in a Super Over, you know it's been a good one.
Colin Munro and Michael Bates will go down as the heroes of the day after Super Over star turns, but both sides had players who made huge impacts on the proceedings at Eden Park's Outer Oval. And, at the end of regulation play, both sides were tied on 170.
That saw the Canterbury Kings send out Aiden Blizzard and Logan van Beek to face the first Super Over, Peter Fulton in reserve. Michael Bates was the man with the ball for the Aces.
Bates had been part of a controversial nineteenth over that saw a ball he delivered hit the stumps to claim what he thought was the Kings' final wicket, until it was called dead ball due to an accidental misfire of sound coming from the ground’s PA system.
That gave the Canterbury Kings a life, and after a frantic final over in which they need 16 to win, they claimed 15 runs, off Mitchell McClenaghan. The final ball of the over saw the Canterbury batsmen take three runs as a catch was dropped, and there was a run out chance. That set up the first Super Over of the season!
Bates stepped up and delivered for his side. After being taken for two runs off the first ball, he clean bowled Aiden Blizzard, who had looked in very good touch making a half century in Canterbury’s innings.
Next in was Fulton. He added three more to the score, and left van Beek on strike. That is when Bates struck again. The experienced campaigner bowled van Beek, restricting the Kings to just five.
Now it was the Aces' turn. Unsurprisingly their elected batsmen were Colin Munro and Colin de Grandhomme, with Rob Nicol as the reserve. Hamish Bennett took the ball and Colin Munro showed he needed just one ball to take victory for the Aces. He smashed Bennett over long on for six with a trademark crunching swipe of his bat. Munro charged down the pitch to celebrate with de Grandhomme before turning to offer a fist pump to his elated teammates.
Earlier, Aces captain Nicol had won the toss and elected to bat. It was a rough start to the innings as the Canterbury Kings applied the screws with early spin bowling and tight lines. Raval and Cachopa had tried to accelerate early, but both couldn’t get away. Colin Munro also threatened to pick up where he left off on Sunday, but couldn’t find the same touch early.
It wasn’t until Nicol was united at the crease with de Grandhomme that the Aucklanders really got going. De Grandhomme’s spectacular hitting power came to the fore as he smashed four sixes, including two onto Sandringham Road and a purple patch of three in a row. The big hitter got to 50, but couldn’t close the innings out, departing for 56 with an over to go.
His skipper then saw things out with Donovan Grobbelaar and in the process reached his own 50. The Aces finished on 170/4.
In reply, the Canterbury Kings looked dangerous from the outset. The pair of Ronnie Hira and Aiden Blizzard scored freely early on. The early onslaught saw Nicol once again use variation and juggle his bowlers.
The changes worked and Matt Quinn removed Hira. McClenaghan followed that strike up by getting the dangerous Henry Nicholls cheaply the next over.
Through the middle overs Nicol and really applied the pressure as they used their experience to clamp down on the Kings and pick up vital wickets. Nicol perhaps claimed the most important of all as he bowled Blizzard, who looked like he might help the Kings home after earlier passing 50.
After bowling out Nicol and Nethula, the Aces' quicks returned to the attack.
For the final six overs of the game advantage swung back and forth dramatically. Both teams looked good for the win at stages, the Canterbury batsmen doing just enough to keep near the run rate while the Aces continued to take wickets to keep them in check.
A minute's silence was observed at Eden Park ahead of the game in memory of Jonah Lomu.
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