A rained off Saturday has catapulted Auckland's unbeaten Takapuna 'Pirates' and Wellington's Karori into the 1v2 Final at this year's National Club Cricket Championship - if the weather cooperates on Sunday.
The two strong sides feature a swathe of Aces and Firebirds reps who have turned out for their club and performed.
Crucially both clubs hit the ground running on Thursday and Friday - when the first three of the five scheduled round-robin T20s were played in fair late summer weather.
Double defending champions Napier Tech Old Boys - also sporting one of the stronger line-ups on paper at the championships - also took a first-up win on Thursday afternoon, brushing aside ND's Karaka.
But CD's 'Texans' stumbled on Friday with costly losses to Takapuna and Lancaster Park which leaves them in fourth spot on the table, now facing a 3v4 playoff with Canterbury's Lancaster Park instead of a showdown on the number one ground for a coveted threepeat national title.
Karori and Lancaster Park both take two wins into Sunday, but Karori is well ahead on net run rate to secure the last spot in the 1v2 Final.
Tom Blundell's star-studded Wellington club lost to Takapuna - featuring the red-hot O'Donnell brothers, but beat Otago's Taieri who sit winless in sixth spot - just below fifth-placed Karaka who beat them by 78 runs for their sole win.
Rounds four and five were both abandoned after heavy, squally rain on Saturday left covers parked on the pitches.
ROUND ONE | Thursday 8 April 2021
Napier Tech Old Boys beat Karaka by 64 runs
Takapuna beat Lancaster Park by 31 runs
ROUND TWO | Friday 9 April 2021
Takapuna beat Napier Tech Old Boys by 5 wickets
Lancaster Park beat Karori by 6 wickets
ROUND THREE | Friday 9 April 2021
Lancaster Park beat Napier Tech Old Boys by 24 runs
Takapuna beat Taieri by 2 wickets
