It was Smith's dream as BEN SMITH smashed his second consecutive T20 career best half ton, upstaging a BLACKCAPS-strewn encounter at Eden Park that went down to the last over - with Auckland's survival at stake.

A hard, bouncy deck was a delight for the pace bowlers on either side with ADAM MILNE (1-22 off four) back from his knee niggle and squaring off against Lockie Ferguson (2-32) in a battle of the BLACKCAPS quicks as men's Dream11 Super Smash returned to the main stage of Eden Park's number one stadium for the first time in eight years.

Asked to bowl first, the Stags had the better of the power play in both innings and it was the difference between the sides.

WILL YOUNG, playing his first match for the Stags this season, popped a six off Will Somerville as he and Ben Smith took their side to 58 without loss.

Later, the Aces would lose three big wickets inside their first six, with George Worker, Mark Chapman and Martin Guptill, aho was also back from injury, all back in the tent at 30/3.

SETH RANCE (2-15), swinging the ball both ways, and Milne had been outstanding before DOUG BRACEWELL came on as first change and got the big wicket of Guptill, who had just smashed him for four and six.

The Aces would be chasing the 176/7 in conditions that suggest a par 180.

The Stags lot their way a little with the bat as wickets fell late - Ferguson putting himself on a hat-trick in the penultimate over, much to the delight of the crowd, with Rance coming in and surviving with a dot ball.

It was Rance's day.

The meat of the innings for the Stags was from Whanganui veteran Smith who backed up his career-best at Bay Oval last weekend with 80* off 42 balls, 10 boundaries and two sixes among them as he batted into the 18th over.

Like the revelation GREG HAY, he was perhaps a workman better known to most for his red-ball exploits, but stood up again against a fancy attack and after his strong start with Young, dominated a 60-run stand with DANE CLEAVER (20).

No one else in the side really got going as exciting young Aces leggie Adithya Ashok looked completely unfazed by the occasion - a good and vocal crowd in to celebrate and thank Auckland's essential workers - en route to his 3-28.

But the Stags had done enough.

Robbie O'Donnell (68 off 37) and Glenn Phillips (52 off 34) had to rescue it for the Aces, and thumped some real crowd-pleasers into the sightscreen and stands in their entertaining 86-run stand for the third wicket, while the Stags lost AJAZ PATEL to injury after one over, forcing a rethink on their bowling strategy.

Blessed with two left-arm spinners in their side, JAYDEN LENNOX (1-28) would take the vital wicket of O'Donnell while Bracewell, who like BLAIR TICKNER had come in for some tap with 21- and 19-run overs respectively in the pacey conditions, had got Phillips caught in the previous over to swing the momentum back round.

Tickner, Milne and Rance finished outstandingly at the death as they squeezed the life out of the Aces who had needed to win to stay alive in the race for Finals.

The Aces still had a faint hope heading into the last over, but would go down by 10 runs - finishing in fifth spot while the season's early leaders the Stags rose up to fourth, also left ruing what might have been but for one more victory.

Attention for both teams now turns to The Ford Trophy in Palmerston North on 1 February where they will meet again in a free admission showcase at Fitzherbert Park.

SCORES

Article added: Sunday 23 January 2022