The SBS Bank Otago Volts swotted away the SKYCITY Northern Knights at Mount Maunganui this afternoon, to reclaim the head of the Georgie Pie Super Smash table and finish as top qualifier.
Now the last three teams head into the three-match Finals series at New Plymouth’s Yarrow Stadium, starting this Friday night when the Aces will take on the Volts in the 1v2 Qualifying Final, the winner of which goes straight to Sunday's Grand Final.
Qualifying top is significant to teams because, should weather happen to wash away their shots at the trophy, the champion is deemed to be the team that finished on top after the regular season play.
Match report
The Volts are the only team to have pocketed six wins, and the loser on Friday will still have a second chance at the silverware by entering in a sudden death Elimination Final on Saturday night at Yarrow, where they will meet third qualifiers, the Canterbury Kings.
As the Volts ran off the field at the Mount after their win, they were still in the dark as to what was going on in the other three matches.
In Christchurch, magnificent Mahela Jayawardene’s third half century from four games (and the only fifty of the match, after the Kings' Peter Fulton had been run out by a direct hit on 48 in the first innings) had helped the Devon Hotel Central Stags give themselves a chance with a strong start to their do-or-die chase.
They were looking to haul in the Kings' 166/6, but with their experienced bowling attack and the verve of Logan van Beek, who has added more muscle to his pace bowling this summer, the hosts ultimately saw off the Stags to win by 17 runs and claim the last remaining spot at Yarrow — from their opponents; on a riveting day of simultaneous action at three venues.
Scorecard
Meanwhile, the SKYCITY Northern Knights (who had also been in Finals contention) had just blown their chances at the Mount, as the Volts surged to their impressive 56-run victory.
The Knights had been chasing 178/4, having let the Volts get away on them despite the best efforts of a strong, three-prong spin attack at a ground that generally smiles on the slow bowlers.
Michael Bracewell top-scored for the Volts with a 39-ball 54 before he was given out in uncommon circumstances — obstructing the field whilst debating a second run, off the final ball of the innings.
Jimmy Neesham finished unbeaten one shy of what would have been a very quick half-century, after the Volts had weathered a good contest against the strong and determined spin attack.
Opener Anaru Kitchen (37 off 27) had also played an important role in setting up the challenging total.
Under pressure not only to win, but to win in quick time to boost their net run rate and qualify, the Knights just never looked like getting close in reply, and were dismissed for 122 in 16.2 overs by the well-drilled Volts attack.
But the upset of the day had unfolded at Eden Park Outer Oval, where the Mighty Ape Wellington Firebirds swept to a seven-wicket win — which bumped the Aces down to second spot on the ladder.
It started with pace tyro Dane Hutchinson taking out Jeet Raval first ball of the match, the opening over costing only two leg byes.
From 2014 champions to 2015 wooden spooners, the emphatic victory was a bittersweet finale to the Firebirds’ up and down season, and it saw them end with three victories for seven losses all up.
Scorecard
