Cricket: Aces high as Auckland nail slot in final

Auckland Aces wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins bumps into Central Districts batsman Peter Ingram during yesterday's T20 match at Colin Maiden Park. Photo / Richard Robinson

The rampant Auckland Aces booked their spot in the HRV Cup final yesterday, with a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Central Districts at Colin Maiden Park.

The defending champions didn't let a 90-minute rain delay or a powerful-looking Stags batting lineup bother them, chasing down the visitors' 90 with 27 balls to spare.

Central lost regular wickets throughout their 15-over innings, and their total never looked to be enough to prevent Auckland from coasting to their fourth straight T20 win.

Auckland allrounder Andre Adams said he was happy to claim such a comprehensive win, given the unpredictable nature of rain-affected cricket.

"It's always ... a tough one when you're playing a shortened game - you never really know how hard to go to start with," he said. "Luckily we got a really good start and, from there, we lost a couple of wickets but we were always in control."

Auckland can now look ahead to the January 22 final, knowing only Canterbury can prevent them from chasing two titles in a row on their home turf.

Adams confirmed, now the first hurdle had been cleared, the team were setting their sights on securing home advantage.

"The first goal is to get there," he said. "Now we'd love a home final, that's part of the planning. We'd like to get that sorted out as soon as possible."

Another outstanding bowling effort from the Aces' slow bowlers was backed by some slick fielding to curtail any momentum the Stags built throughout their innings.

Spinner Ronnie Hira continued his fine form this season, taking 2-16 from three overs to move to second in the competition's wicket-taking standings. Adams conceded a miserly 11 runs from his three overs, while also running the big-hitting Kieran Noema-Barnett for a duck.

Adams pointed to Auckland's performance with the ball as their biggest advantage in this year's competition.

"The guys are bowling really well so we've got a nice little unit," he said. "The big thing seems to be the self-belief."

Ross Taylor's 21 was the best the Central batters could muster, as too many were guilty of playing for the boundary rather than accumulating runs. Central fell from 22 without loss to 29-4 in the space of three overs.