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Kings stun Firebirds in thriller

Canterbury will contest the men’s Super Smash title in the grand final after eliminating the Wellington Firebirds.

Victory yesterday in Dunedin gave them a spot in Saturday’s showdown with the Northern Brave at Hamilton’s Seddon Park, as Cam Fletcher and Leo Carter rallied their side late when a win looked unlikely.

The Kings required 31 from the last two overs at the University of Otago Oval but Logan van Beek was hammered for 22 runs in the penultimate over in which Fletcher was dropped by Wellington skipper Michael Bracewell.

Carter, who made an unbeaten 44 from 30 balls (three fours and two sixes) hit the winning runs with three balls and six wickets to spare, but wicketkeeper-batter Fletcher was the star turn, hammering 63 not out (six fours and three sixes) off only 25 deliveries.

Batting first, Wellington had reached 190-3, thanks mostly to a partnership of 143 between Bracewell and Devon Conway.

Bracewell’s phenomenal season continued as he extended his place as the competition’s leading runscorer with 478 runs at an average of 79.67. The left-hander made an unbeaten 81 from 54 balls (four sixes and six fours) while Conway provided support with an unbeaten 74 from 52 deliveries (two sixes and five fours) as they set a domestic T20 third-wicket partnership record for Wellington.

The game had a jaw-dropping start when Firebirds opening batter Finn Allen was dropped hooking the first ball from Matt Henry by Mitch Hay at deep backward square, resulting in a six. Allen slammed another six from the third ball before perishing to the fourth ball, attempting to continue his personal onslaught, and Henry then trapped Tom Blundell lbw the next ball.

Bracewell and Conway didn’t appear bothered by the two quick wickets to fall as their side ended the six-over powerplay at 63-2 but off-spinner Cole Mcconchie was largely responsible for slowing Wellington’s progress, ending with 0-24 off his four overs.

Canterbury were equally aggressive early in the powerplay but lost Black Caps star Tom Latham (16 off five balls), while fellow NZ representative Daryl Mitchell perished in the eighth over.

Opener Chad Bowes made 51 off 41 balls before falling to Peter Younghusband in an inspired bowling change from Bracewell as the leg-spinner also removed Mcconchie in his first over which seemed likely to propel the Firebirds to victory.

However, Fletcher and Carter thumped 98 for their unbroken fifth-wicket partnership in 7.3 overs to end Wellington’s reign as Super Smash champions.

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2022-01-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-01-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

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