Canterbury continued their chasing skills against Auckland too as they beat them by five wickets with 13 balls to spare at Eden Park on January 7, 2022. Auckland's three-match winning streak has been snapped as Canterbury continues to impress by their master chasing. With this win, Canterbury pulled Northern Knights below and encroached on the top position in the table. They are with twenty points from seven matches played. Following this heavy defeat, the Aces remained in fifth place with twelve points from six games played.
Chasing 168 to win, Canterbury didn't start well as their opener Ken McClure fell cheaply. Chad Bowes and Leo Carter tried to steady the ship but couldn't stay for long as the former was trapped in front of Lister's bowling after he scored a quick cameo of 26 runs from just 13 balls. Leo Carter hit three sixes in his score of 35 runs from 22 balls. At one stage they were 96/5 and the target was looking like a mountain for them. However, an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 76 runs between Cam Fletcher 57(39) and Henry Shipley 37(22), ensured that they chased this down comfortably. Despite taking two wickets, Lockie Ferguson was expensive. Other bowlers didn't do much to help him either.
Earlier, Canterbury won the toss and asked Auckland to bat first. George Worker and Glenn Phillips gave them a flying start as they put up 62 runs in the first six overs before the latter got out to Todd Astle. Phillips was going all guns blazing as he scored a quickfire 53 runs from just 27 balls, which included five sixes and three fours. Worker, Robert O'Donnell, and Graeme Beghin chipped in with quick twenties, but their lower-order didn’t respond well as they ended up putting a below-par score of 167/8 in 20 overs. Ed Nuttall, Todd Astle, and Henry Shipley took a couple of wickets each.
Now, the Canterbury will face Auckland again on January 18, 2022, while the Auckland will play the Otago on January 15, 2022.
Brief Scores
Canterbury Kings– 172/5 (17.5)
Cam Fletcher- 57(39)*, Lockie Ferguson- 2/39(3.5)
Auckland Aces – 167/8 (20)
Glenn Phillips- 53(27), Henry Shipley- 2/26(3)
Canterbury Kings won by 5 wickets.