A dominant all-international bowling attack has sent the Canterbury King to the Super Smash Grand Final after beating Northern Districts by seven wickets.
Matt Henry was the epitomy of misery, his opening over to Katene Clarke, the only man to have scored a century in this season’s competition was a maiden.
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His second over was a wicket maiden, Clarke falling thanks to a remarkable, bobbled Daryl Mitchell catch.
Henry’s third over was another wicket maiden, Robbie O’Donnell this time dismissed — caught by Matt Boyle.
Henry bowled unbroken through the power play and, halfway through his last over, still hadn’t conceded a run.
Brett Hampton finally hammered a single to ruin his figures, and Brave captain Jeet Raval followed suit off his last delivery of the day — the Black Cap finishing with standout figures of 4-3-2-2 in the must-win eliminator.
Kyle Jamieson took 3-19 from four overs including the next three to fall, and Kings captain Cole McConchie’s decision to bowl first in the Elimination Final was looking thoroughly vindicated.
Northern captain Raval scored a fighting 45 and with Hampton put together a much needed 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket that gave Raval’s side a faint semblance of hope, and against the odds they managed to bat out their 20 overs, despite the Kings’ seamers ruling the roost.
But they had also had to contend with Henry Shipley putting himself on an unconverted hat-trick with the wickets of Hampton and Kristian Clarke, and Shipley finished with his own tidy haul of 3-17.
The Brave had just 110/9 on the board after having been permitted to find the boundary only a dozen times, together with a Neil Wagner six that was followed swiftly by his dismissal.
That meant the Kings needed less than run-a-ball in the chase, which lasted 13.1 overs, Chad Bowes finishing unbeaten on 33* off 35 balls.
Kristian Clarke dismissed Matt Hay for no score, but first drop Matt Boyle’s quick 48 off 25 balls (7x4, 2x6) in his breakthrough season put the Kings well ahead of the asking rate, early.
The Kings will now face the Central Stags in the men’s Grand Final tomorrow afternoon — a shot at revenge after the Stags beat the Kings in Napier during the regular season.
The Stags were then in a heap of trouble against the Canterbury seam attack at Hagley Oval in match eventually washed out with no result.
The Kings have made the men’s Grand Final for fifth season in a row, but have not won the national T20 title since the inaugural season 19 years ago..