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Captain Cole McConchie launched to catapult the Canterbury Kings into the final of the men’s Twenty20 Super Smash after beating the Otago Volts in Christchurch.
Otago was threatening to score a grand total in the first inning, but Neil Broom’s outing for 48 of 37 balls, combined with four tight overs by Todd Astle (2-18), held the Volts back, leaving the Kings chasing 163. in the new lights at Hagley Oval on Saturday.
The Kings looked terribly unstable, needing 53 of 36 balls, but McConchie stabilized his pursuit with an invaluable 50 of 36 games to lead his team to second place, ahead of the Central Stags, and secured a spot in the final.
Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
Todd Astle was Canterbury’s best pitcher at 2-18.
McConchie used his luck when Nick Kelly dropped him at 17 down the stretch, but he made the most of it and carried Canterbury to the finish line with Leo Carter (16 of 10 balls) with six balls to spare.
READ MORE:
* Super Smash: Deer too good for Kings under the lights at Hagley Oval
* Super Smash: Chad Bowes leads Canterbury to victory over Auckland in a bizarre affair of five more
* The Canterbury Kings’ opening set the tone for a 61-run Super Smash win over Otago Volts
Canterbury’s victory by six wickets means that next Friday’s clash between the Stags and Kings at Napier will be decisive for the final order of the top three. Second will play third in a tie to decide who faces first in the final.
The Wellington Firebirds may still be beaten to first place, confirming host rights for the final, but the reigning champions would have to lose their last two games in the regular season, their net run rate would have to plummet, and more. results must go against them.
The most likely scenario is that the Firebirds host either the Kings or the Stags, although the Northern Knights remain outsiders, while the Volts are out of final contention after their sixth loss out of eight.
Ken McClure’s breezy 33 on 19 balls got Canterbury off to a positive start, but he inexplicably ran off in the fifth over.
Chad Bowes, their starting teammate, then took over as executor and the Kings went to a midfielder at 60-1 from the power play.
Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
Neil Broom was Otago’s top scorer with 48.
He, too, soon went 31-of-19 after Mitchell McClenaghan landed his loose reverse sweep with an Anaru Kitchen spin.
Still, the former made sure the Kings were way ahead of the run rate and Otago’s score seemed at least 20 runs too short.
However, a solid spell from Otago spinner Michael Rippon (1-26) meant Canterbury was reeling in the middle of their pursuit, Joe Boyle struggling to 14 of 19 balls before succumbing to Rippon.
His scoring rate dropped and the lucky hit of Black Caps all-rounder Daryl Mitchell (10 of 11 balls), when Max Chu spilled the ball over the stumps for Kitchen’s second wicket, gave Otago a snort before the party will escape them.
Canterbury put Otago at bat after winning the toss and their players were on the receiving end of an early round from Hamish Rutherford (23 of 15 balls) and Broom, who threw 42 of four overs for the first wicket.
Rutherford was eliminated to Will Williams (2-18) after a superb catch from Mitchell, but Otago continued on nine and more until Astle’s spin stopped his charge towards a massive score.
In addition to Broom, Astle knocked out Kelly 1 and Black Caps closer Matt Henry got the dangerous Josh Finnie 26 of 15 balls, leaving the Volts 108-4 in 14th.
Kitchen (36 of 30 balls) and undefeated Dale Phillips (22 of 16 balls) were tasked with ending Otago’s batting effort with a burst of limits, but neither of them started.
Williams claimed his second, Kitchen in the final, and the Volts reached 162-5, a total they couldn’t defend against Canterbury’s late attack.
At Hagley Oval, Christchurch: Canterbury Kings 163-4 (Cole McConchie 50, Ken McClure 33, Chad Bowes 31; Anaru Kitchen 2-37) hit Volts Otago 162-5 (Neil Broom 48; Todd Astle 2-18, Will Williams 2-18) through six gates.
Points (games played): Firebirds 28 (8), Kings 24 (9), Deer 20 (8), Knights 16 (9), Volts 8 (8), Aces 4 (8)
Stuff MVP Points: Cole McConchie 3, Todd Astle 2, Neil Broom 1
