Cricket: Central Stags denied a Super Smash final berth with last-over loss to Kings

Central Districts captain Tom Bruce walks off dejected after his first innings dismissal for 17. Photo / Photosport

The Central Districts Stags could hardly have come any closer to the final of the Super Smash Twenty20 competition, losing their elimination final against the Canterbury Kings in Auckland on Thursday afternoon with one ball remaining.

A lineup featuring four Hawke's Bay players scored 180 in the first innings for the Stags, but a 132-run partnership between Daryl Mitchell and Cam Fletcher saw the Kings get the win and make Saturday's final against the Wellington Firebirds in Wellington.

The Stags defeated Canterbury by 30 runs last week at McLean Park, and would have been confident of bowling the Kings out short of their total again.

Black Cap Will Young anchored the Central Districts innings with 101 runs off just 47 balls; his maiden T20 century and the third-highest individual score in the competition this year.

Will Young celebrates his maiden Twenty20 century. Photo / Photosport

And after picking up four wickets in the first six overs, including one each for Hawke's Bay Black Caps Blair Tickner and Ajaz Patel, it was looking good for the Stags.

That brought Fletcher to the crease though, and he ably supported a rampaging Mitchell (88 off 58) with plenty of runs from the other end (72 off 42).

Hawke's Bay spinner Jayden Lennox dropped a regulation caught-and-bowled chance which would have claimed Mitchell's wicket in the 14th over.

The pendulum swung completely when Canterbury smacked 20 runs off Hawke's Bay seamer Doug Bracewell in the 17th over.

Stags wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver can only watch as Kings batsman Cam Fletcher sends one over the rope. Photo / Photosport

Tickner finally got Mitchell out caught with seven balls remaining, and the run out of Fletcher with two runs required off three balls gave the Stags a sniff.

Canterbury got over the line with a ball remaining and four wickets in hand to end Central Districts' T20 season one game short of their goal.