It was anything but.
The Central Stags — chasing the Volts’ total of 133 — had raced to 100 without loss in the 12th over.
Then the Volts bowlers started to attack.
They picked off a couple of late wickets and produced 12 dot balls in the final four overs to bring the game to the death.
Tom Bruce, playing his 100th T20 game for the Stags, needed one run off the final over.
Volts spinner Ben Lockrose managed two dots before the Stags veteran found the space to scamper through for one run with three balls left.
It was an exciting finish, which handed the defending champion Stags a six-wicket win and the Volts pulled things back considering the hot start the home side made in Napier.
It brought an end to the Volts’ Super Smash season with a record of three wins, five losses, one tie and a wash-out.
Former Volts captain Dean Foxcroft flicked two boundaries off the first over to start the Stags’ reply.
Black Cap Will Young did not take a back seat, crushing a powerful six through the leg side.
He quickly established himself as the strike batter, finding the right areas to clear the ropes, while Foxcroft crunched another down the ground as the Stags finished the power play with 57 runs.
Young showed his enduring class and lapped it to fine leg to bring up his half-century off 32 balls.
The Stags reached 100 in the 12th over before a brilliant throw from Jacob Cumming ran out Young for 62 off 41.
Jake Gibson deployed a slower ball to bowl Dale Cleaver for a duck to put the Stags on 109 for two, and Foxcroft was caught in the deep.
Bruce hit one down the pitch and bowler Matt Bacon reached out and brushed the ball as it smacked the wickets at the other end. Josh Clarkson got himself tangled at the non-striker’s end with his bat off the ground and was run out.
It put the Stags 124 for four.
After struggling to contain the Stags early, the Volts pulled things back in the latter stages, but the Stags wrapped up at 134 for four.
Earlier, the Volts made a blistering start with the bat and set themselves up nice and early.
Opener Jamal Todd smoked 26 off 12 and looked to be in good touch before he picked out Josh Clarkson in the field.
Fellow opener Cumming perished soon after.
Jack Boyle was rapid in his approach, slashing away to the boundary before being trapped lbw by Black Cap Blair Tickner for 28.
Troy Johnson was caught and bowled by Jayden Lennox three runs later to put the Volts 63 for four.
Ruben Clinton and Gibson were caught behind as well, to give Stags seamer Joey Field career-best figures of three for 25.
Volts captain Max Chu played second fiddle for much of his innings, but just as he started to get going he was removed.
Lennox snaffled his second caught and bowled for the game when he dismissed Lockrose and Danru Ferns and Bacon continued to plug away for the Volts before they were bowled out for 133 in the 18th over.
Tickner finished with four for 23.
• Yesterday’s match between the Canterbury Kings and Northern Brave was called off due to rain. Northern were 124 for four after 14.2 overs when the players left the field.
VOLTS
J Cumming c Randell b Tickner 5 (6)
J Todd c Clarkson b Field 26 (12)
M Chu c Field b Patel 20 (22)
J Boyle lbw Tickner 28 (14)
T Johnson c & b Lennox 1 (3)
R Clinton c Cleaver b Field 11 (8)
J Gibson c Cleaver b Field 4 (2)
B Lockrose c & b Lennox 17 (21)
D Ferns c Field b Tickner 9 (9)
M Bacon b Tickner 9 (9)
H Sixton not out 1 (2)
Extras (1lb, 1w)2
Total: (all out, 18 overs)133
Fall: 1-31, 2-31, 3-60, 4-63, 5-79, 6-83, 7-111, 8-115, 9-132
Bowling: J Lennox 4-0-23-2, B Randell 2-0-33-0 (1w), J Field 3-0-25-3, B Tickner 4-0-23-4, D Foxcroft 1-0-6-0, J Clarkson 1-0-70-0, A Patel 3-0-15-1.
STAGS
D Foxcroft c Todd b Gibson 40 (44)
W Young run out (Cumming) 62 (41)
D Cleaver b Gibson 0 (1)
T Bruce not out 14 (23)
J Clarkson run out Bacon 2 (3)
S Cassidy not out 2 (6)
Extras (4lb, 9w, 1nb) 14
Total (for 4wkts, 19.3 overs)134
Fall: 1-106, 2-109, 3-122, 4-124
Bowling: H Sixton 3-0-32-0 (2w), D Ferns 4-0-28-0 (1nb), B Lockrose 3.3-0-23-0 (1w), M Bacon 4-0-19-0, T Johnson 1-0-10-0, J Gibson 4-0-18-2 (2w)
Result: Stags win by six wickets.
