A crunch South Island roadie is looming for the Central Stags, their penultimate round of Dream11 Super Smash beginning at 4PM this Tuesday at Hagley Oval, followed by the Volts in Dunedin on Saturday.

With 12 having been named for the previous round in Auckland, the Central squad has returned to 13 with the return of strike bowler SETH RANCE for two must-wins.

Despite winning the Elmination Final at Eden Park Outer Oval for the past two seasons straight, the Stags have had an unlucky run at the ground in the round-robin phase of the competition, a trend that continued on Saturday with the Auckland Aces claiming a four-wicket win with three balls to spare.

SCORES

On a slowish drop-in with cool, blustery winds, conditions were not set up for a high-scoring game but the Stags had found themselves some 20 runs short at 138 for eight after having been sent in at the boutique ground.

Things had started promisingly, GEORGE WORKER (below) finding the rope three times in the first over which cost Ross te Braak 14 runs before falling victim to Mitch McClenaghan in the third over.

There were contributions across the line-up with CHRISTIAN LEOPARD top-scoring with a 23-ball 27, but some tight overs from Mark Chapman and Ben Lister frustrated the Stags while veteran spinner Ronnie Hira struck a big double blow in his first over with DANE CLEAVER stumped off a wide then TOM BRUCE caught for a golden duck next ball.

The Stags' attack fought hard to contain the Aces with the ball and pushed the match much further than WASP had been expecting.

At 124 for five, the Aces had still needed 15 from the final two overs - giving the Stags an outside chance after superb containment from AJAZ PATEL, with assistance from BEN WHEELER (1-20), RYAN WATSON (2-19) and GEORGE WORKER (1-18) through the middle.

The competition's leading wicket-taker, class spinner Patel (above) had hit his mark immediately in the third over of the chase, picking up the big wicket of Colin Munro after building pressure against Munro and Martin Guptill with just a single conceded.

Ben Wheeler takes the catch to dismiss Munro | PHOTOSPORT

Patel then had the last word in a battle with Mark Chapman that ended with Chapman stumped off his last over to finish with 2-20.

Rookie Watson meanwhile continued his run of picking up big wickets with Aces captain Craig Cachopa and Robbie O'Donnell both caught.

In the meantime Cachopa had formed a damaging little stand with Corey Anderson, however, that kept them on track.

After their dismissal, Ben Horne and O'Donnell took up the challenge, finding the boundary three times in the 19th.

That left Watson with a big ask in the final over with the Aces requiring just two from six - but there was a touch of magic first ball as WILLEM LUDICK scooped up an impressive one-handed catch at short cover to dismiss O'Donnell.

Watson then dotted down next ball before Hira sealed a big win for the Aces with a boundary.

The Aces had made a poor start to the competition this season, but a second win against the Stags meant they moved up into third spot - pushing the Stags into fourth. The Stags now need to win their last two games, but hope the Aces go down to the Knights or current leaders the Firebirds, to be sure of claiming a playoff spot.

The Stags will be looking to reverse their result against the Kings earlier in the campaign tomorrow, before heading to University of Otago for Saturday's doubleheader with the Central Hinds, where all teams will have one eye on the weather forecast.

CENTRAL STAGS v CANTERBURY KINGS

Tuesday 7 January 2020

Hagley Oval

Round 9 of 10

Tom BRUCE (captain) — Taranaki

Josh CLARKSON — Nelson

Dane CLEAVER (w) — Manawatū

Jayden LENNOX - Hawke's Bay

Christian LEOPARD — Hawke’s Bay

Willem LUDICK — Nelson

Kieran NOEMA-BARNETT — Hawke’s Bay

Ajaz PATEL — Hawke’s Bay

Seth RANCE — Wairarapa

Blair TICKNER — Hawke’s Bay

Ryan WATSON — Taranaki

Ben WHEELER — Marlborough

George WORKER — Manawatū

     Unavailable, injury - Doug Bracewell, Adam Milne, Bevan Small

Article added: Monday 06 January 2020