Neither the Volts nor the Brave looked particularly impressed as the Super Smash men’s game ended in a rare tie in Mt Maunganui last night.
The Brave needed 19 off the final over and nearly got there as pinch-hitter Scott Kuggeleijn went ballistic, hitting three boundaries off Danru Ferns, but could not get the three runs he needed off the final ball.
There is no provision for a tie-breaking super over in the New Zealand T20 competition, so it goes into the books as a tie, and the sides share the points.
Both, funnily enough, felt the game was theirs for the taking at various points.
The Volts leaned on a Max Chu half-century to post 166 for six after being asked to bat, and the Brave were cruising at 83 for two after 10 overs before grinding to a halt and making two tactical retirements — sending slowpokes Jeet Raval and Xavier Bell back to the sheds — to give Kuggeleijn a chance to be the hero.
Katene Clarke (19 off 11) and Brett Hampton (35 off 30) had got the Brave into a winning position.
But the story of the game was then set to be Ben Lockrose and a most unlikely Volts spin twin.
While Lockrose delivered one of the best spells of his career, taking two for 24 off six overs, the real strangulation came at the other end.
Troy Johnson had never bowled in 37 Super Smash games for Wellington, but in his debut in this format for the Volts, he sent down three overs of niggly off breaks and conceded just 13 runs.
It left the Brave needing 58 off the final four overs.
Enter Kuggeleijn and Northern captain Ben Pomare, who combined to take 13 runs off each of the 17th, 18th and 19th overs, before Pomare’s departure left Kuggeleijn (34 off 12) to nearly get his side across the line.
Earlier, the Volts posted a respectable total but, given they failed to score a boundary over the last five overs, it really should have been higher.
Jamal Todd (32 off 27) and Jack Boyle (24 off 20) made handy contributions but otherwise it was all Chu.
The Volts wicketkeeper-batter played one glorious straight drive for four, smacked a high full toss off Hampton over the ropes, and raised his 50 off 29 balls.
While he and his team-mates failed to find the boundary in the closing stages, Chu was unbeaten on 64 (42 balls) at the close.
— The Canterbury Kings cruised to a nine-wicket win over the Central Stags in Nelson on Saturday.
Fraser Sheat took three for 17 as the Stags were restricted to 139 for six, and Chad Bowes (40 off 34) and Matt Boyle (73 off 30) made short work of the chase.
VOLTS
L Johnson c Kuggeleijn b KDC Clarke 12 (14)
J Todd c Kuggeleijn b Pringle 32 (27)
M Chu not out 64 (42)
J Boyle c Pomare b Pringle 24 (20)
T Johnson c KD Clarke b Cooper 5 (5)
J Gibson c & b Kuggeleijn 4 (4)
B Lockrose c Hampton b Cooper 5 (4)
L Georgeson not out 9 (7)
Extras (2b, 4lb, 2w, 3nb) 11
Total (for 6wkts, 20 overs) 166
Fall: 1-24, 2-78, 3-126, 4-133, 5-138, 6-149.
Bowling: M Fisher 4-0-27-0 (1nb), S Kuggeleijn 4-0-36-1, K Clarke 3-0-27-1 (1nb), T Pringle 4-0-25-2, B Hampton 1-0-16-0 (1nb), H Cooper 4-0-29-2 (2w).
BRAVE
KD Clarke b Hazeldine 19 (11)
J Carter c Gibson b Lockrose 17 (15)
B Hampton c & b Lockrose 35 (30)
J Raval retired out 23 (28)
X Bell retired out 9 (13)
B Pomare c Boyle b Bacon 20 (10)
S Kuggeleijn not out 34 (12)
T Pringle not out 2 (2)
Extras (6w, 1nb)7
Total (for 6wkts, 20 overs) 166
Fall: 1-26, 2-75, 3-82, 4-109, 5-123, 6-147.
Bowling: A Hazeldine 2-0-19-1 (1w), D Ferns 4-0-51-0 (1nb), M Bacon 4-0-37-1 (2w), B Lockrose 4-0-24-2 (3w), L Georgeson 0.2-0-1-0, J Gibson 2.4-0-21-0, T Johnson 3-0-13-0.
Result: Match tied.
