Auckland have joined Wellington and Canterbury in the finals of the Super Smash women's T20 competition following a six wicket win over Northern Districts in Hamilton.
Auckland Heart's Holly Huddleston. Dream 11 Super Smash - Northern Spirit v Auckland Hearts. Seddon Park, Hamilton, New Zealand. Friday 29 January 2021. Photo: Photosport Ltd 2021www.photosport.nz
However who will gain direct entry to the February 13, Grand Final, and which two teams will be left to face off in the sudden death Elimination Final two days earlier, is yet to be determined.
With two rounds in the regular season still to come for the three qualifiers, Wellington holds a slender two-point lead over both Auckland and Canterbury, with the latter two sides having shared the four points per match for an abandonment early in their campaigns.
As it currently stands, that means Wellington still needs to win both their remaining matches to be assured of qualifying top - and the last of those encounters will be a big away game against Auckland.
After a promising start to their T20 season, Northern's hopes ended with a thud in their fifth consecutive loss, having lost regular wickets after electing to bat first under the Seddon Park lights.
A total of 108 for seven was always going to be tough to defend against the strong Auckland side who bounced back from a shock nine-wicket loss to Central Districts with a six-wicket win in Hamilton, spearheaded by veteran Katie Perkins' 45 and an unbeaten 29* from fellow White Fern Holly Huddleston at the death.
In the men's tournament, the Black Caps captain Kane Williamson kept Northern Districits hopes alive as he hit the winning boundary in a last-ball, must-win thriller against Auckland.
Williamson was again unbeaten in his second appearance for the T20 team, finishing with 79 not out off 55 balls.
Northern had needed a big finish through the back end of their chase and, after Williamson had lost a string of partners, he found key support from Tim Southee (24* off 15) from the 15th over.
Southee created a dramatic end to the game when he departed caught off Ross ter Braak on the penultimate ball of the chase, when the scores were tied at 162/7.
The batsmen had crossed during the skied catch, however, leaving Williamson to slot the winning boundary off the final delivery for a thrilling and vital three-wicket win.
Northern Districts' finals chances though still hang by a thread, with three teams ahead of them on the men's points ladder.
They now face a clutch final game against Otago who likewise have a mathematical chance, with fate out of their own control.
