The Auckland Aces snatched a five-wicket win against the Volts at the University Oval yesterday.
Bevon Jacobs was unbeaten with 78 — his fifth consecutive half-century this Super Smash season — to see the visitors home.
The Volts posted a light total of 159, but gave themselves every chance to defend it with the ball.
Black Cap Jacob Duffy made a welcome return to the franchise for the first time this season too.
"We were probably 20 short with the bat," Volts captain Max Chu told TVNZ.
"I thought it was a fantastic wicket. I actually thought both teams bowled quite well but Bevon obviously took the game away from us.
"It was lovely seeing Duffman swinging it back at the University Oval, but disappointed not to get the result in front of our home fans today."
After the Volts were sent in to bat, Jacob Cumming tried to flick his shot away, but Rohit Gulati took a tricky catch to remove the opener.
Jamal Todd raced out to 17 off four and looked to be in good form, until he was caught in the deep for 24.
Chu crunched consecutive boundaries through the leg side.
Jack Boyle flicked one up on to the bank and another cleared the ropes to bring up the Volts’ half-century.
Chu popped it straight back to Gulati to be removed for 13, making the Volts 57 for three.
Boyle smashed another up on to the bank as he kept the Volts moving.
Llew Johnson swept his first to the boundary.
But Boyle was trapped lbw for 32, putting the Volts 85 for four.
Troy Johnson went for eight as the Volts struggled to get going.
But Llew Johnson did what he does best — cracking a six over the top of former team-mate Dale Phillips and then scoring another boundary through the off side.
Gibson was bowled for six, Ben Lockrose went for a duck and Danru Ferns holed out.
Johnson brought up his half-century off 33 balls. He made the calls and pushed Duffy hard to run late in the game.
He was run out for 63 and Duffy was run out in the same over for the Volts to be all out for 159.
In reply, Sean Solia smacked a maximum and then was removed by Duffy.
Ferns leapt in the air at mid-off to remove the dangerous Martin Guptill with a brilliant catch.
Phillips looked to flick one fine but Troy Johnson put a stop to that, collecting him on the boundary.
That put the Aces at 32 for three in the fifth over.
The Volts were up and about as they put the brakes on early, keeping the Aces to 41 for three in the power play.
Black Cap Mark Chapman struck it well down the ground and Jacobs pulled through the leg side.
They took the sting out of the early damage from the Volts.
Jacobs smacked one out of the ground and started to really wind up as he cemented a good partnership with Chapman.
Chapman shimmied down the wicket and started punching balls on to the bank as well.
But Troy Johnson trapped him lbw — his first T20 wicket — to make the big breakthrough to have the Aces 119 for four in the 16th over.
Jacobs raced away to 53 off 42 but Johnson also removed Cam Fletcher for nine.
But Jacobs wrapped the game up when he drove a huge six down the ground to win.
VOLTS
J Todd c Jacobs b Harrison 24 (10)
J Cumming c Gulati b Olliver 3 (8)
J Boyle lbw Harrison 32 (22)
M Chu c & b Gulati 13 (11)
L Johnson run out Chapman 63 (44)
T Johnson c Phillips b Olliver 8 (8)
J Gibson b Dixit 6 (8)
B Lockrose b Dixit 0 (1)
D Ferns c Ferns b Johal 3 (5)
J Duffy run out Chapman 2 (2)
M Bacon not out 0 (1)
Extras (1lb, 4w) 5
Total (for 10 wkts in 20 overs) 159
Fall: 1-20, 2-28, 3-57, 4-85, 5-95, 6-129, 7-129, 8-141, 9-157, 10-159
Bowling: A Olliver 4-0-27-2 (1w), H Johal 4-0-34-1 (1w), R Harrison 4-0-42-2, R Gulati 4-0-22-1, S Dixit 4-0-33-2 (2w)
ACES
D Phillips c T Johnson b Bacon 13 (14)
S Solia c Gibson b Duffy 18 (17)
M Guptill c Ferns b Lockrose 0 (4)
M Chapman lbw T Johnson 39 (28)
B Jacobs not out 78 (51)
C Fletcher lbw T Johnson 9 (6)
R Harrison not out 2 (2)
Extras (1lb, 1w) 2
Total (for five wkts in 18.2 overs) 161
Fall: 1-29, 2-30, 3-32, 4-119, 5-147
Bowling: J Duffy 4-0-44-1, D Ferns 2.4-0-37-0 (1w), B Lockrose 4-0-20-1, M Bacon 4-0-26-1, T Johnson 3-0-20-2, J Gibson 1-0-13-0
Result: Aces win by five wickets
