Auckland makes it to HRV-Cup final with 8-wicket win over Northern Districts
Lou Vincent powered Auckland to the final of the ongoing HRV Cup, after the Aces sealed a comfortable 8-wicket victory over Northern Districts at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
An all-round bowling performance from the Auckland attack restricted the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Northern-Districts-c825 Knights to a meager total of 135 for 8 from their allotted 20 overs. Lou Vincent then attacked the opposition bowlers with style and chutzpah
to reach the target with only two wickets down and nine balls to spare, ensuring his side would be one of the two teams playing the final of the tournament this Sunday.
After winning the toss, Northern Districts skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Colin-Munro-c51481 off Michael
Bates for a duck. Bates’ opening partner, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Daniel-Flynn-c1309 then tried to brush off the early loss by smacking Michael Bates for three huge sixes, and a muscular boundary. Once he was dismissed in the eighth over for 37 - with team’s total on 47 - things continued
to go downhill from there. Flynn’s 37 came from 25 balls, including three boundaries and three sixes.
The Knights middle-order struggled to score freely as the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Joseph-Yovich-c1735 took the side to 135 for eight at the end of
the allotted 20 overs. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andre-Adams-c1033 and Daryl Tuffey were the most successful bowlers from Auckland, with two wickets each and an economy of less than six runs an over.
The total of 136 proved too little to defend against the strong Auckland side, with most of the players from the squad that defeated http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in a tour game last week. Though the Aces lost Colin de Grandhomme quite early, the loss
was brushed off by a 110 runs partnership between Lou Vincent and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jimmy-Adams-c1696 for the second wicket, to set Auckland on its way to an easy eight-wicket win over Central Districts. Vincent top scored with a 61-ball 77, which was laced with 10 sweetly-timed
boundaries, and three huge sixes as Auckland reached the target with nine balls to spare.
The victory at Bay Oval took the Aces to the top of the points table confirming their place in Sunday’s final, where they will face either Northern Districts or http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Central-Districts-c777.
Tags: