Proving that the Georgie Pie Super Smash leaderboard can change just as quickly as the weather, week three’s Super Smash Sunday had a fascinating effect on the points table as all six teams jockey for pole position.
With the finals now just over a fortnight away, teams are starting to feel the urgency and, after a mammoth rainstorm washed out both the Friday night match in Hamilton and Saturday’s scheduled Yarrow Stadium clash, shared points meant a real logjam in the middle of the table.
When the weather magically fined up for Sunday, after an epic electrical storm overnight at Eden Park and wider Auckland, there were cheeky suggestions that it was the just the Volts arriving in town to play the Aces.
The Aces had already had a big week with the first Super Over win of the season, an adrenalised match which master blaster Colin Munro had won in one hit with a timely trademark six.
The Aucklanders had needed to beat Canterbury’s five Super Over runs after both teams had ended up on 170 after their regulation 20 overs and, after their fireworks earlier in the game, it was no surprise that the Aces sent out their “two Colins” to face! Check out the match highlights here.
Then, after the heavens cleared, the Aces carried on successfully defending “Fort Eden” — where they are unbeaten with three from three — on Sunday.
Competition leaders the Volts took a shock hit in front of a great crowd at the Outer Oval in a hard-fought encounter that ultimately saw the Mondiale Auckland Aces edge them by just one run.
Match report
Combative Colin Munro, who pretty much “owns” Eden Park Outer Oval, yet again entertained the home crowd with his ballistic style, smashing 45 off just 17 balls in an innings that hauled the Aces out of early trouble.
They’d been up against a T20 bowling master class from Volts captain Nathan McCullum, who took 3-19, including bowling Jeet Raval second ball for a duck, as well as contributing a run out.
So that meant the Volts’ lead was suddenly cut from eight to four points.
Also on Sunday, the first Georgie Pie Super Smash match of the season at the beloved Basin Reserve proved a big hit with the crowd — and a combustible showdown on the field of play.
The Mighty Ape Wellington Firebirds’ eminent batsman Stephen Murdoch has been backing up big-time and was once again in outstanding touch with a 52-ball unbeaten 92.
But it was the only innings of substance as the hosts were unable to back up from a potent win at Saxton Oval just days earlier.
They set themselves up to be singed by a seven-wicket loss: 152/5 not enough to threaten the star-studded SKYCITY Northern Knights.
Knights Anton Devcich and renowned Ireland import Kevin O’Brien hassled them with both bat and ball for a victory that will have given coach James Pamment plenty of cheer after having lost imported pace ace Ben Laughlin to injury.
It had been the Knights’ home game against the Aces and the Devon Hotel Central Stags’ scheduled barney with the Kings at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth that had been washed out without a ball bowled.
The Firebirds now have a chance to reclaim that lost ground at 4pm on Wednesday when they return to the Basin Reserve to host the Volts.
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