Cricket: Firebirds blow hot at Mount

The Firebirds face the Otago Volts on Wednesday. Photo / Getty Images

A delighted Wellington Firebirds team is leading the HRV Twenty20 table after a disciplined win over an out-of-sorts Northern Knights at Mount Maunganui yesterday.

The Knights, bowling first on a pitch that favoured their spin attack, started well by knocking the top off the Firebirds' batting inside six overs, with Trent Boult, Scott Kuggeleijn and Jono Boult picking up early wickets.

But fielding proved the difference as the hosts shelled more catches than they held. Crucially, Stephen Murdoch (57 off 46) was given three lives before scoring his half-century.

Batting partner James Franklin walloped a second six from Kuggeleijn's second over to post the Firebirds' 100 in the 15th, and he, too, was spilled in the deep before their 90-run stand was eventually broken in the 18th over - when Murdoch was found well short of his ground by BJ Watling, collecting a sharp throw from Daryl Mitchell.

Watling had earlier accounted for Grant Elliott with a canny leg-side take after the Wellington all-rounder feathered an attempted reverse sweep off Jono Boult: the dismissal of the innings.

The Murdoch-Franklin partnership stood tall in the modest tally of 145 for six, setting the Knights a run chase of just over seven an over. But, for the second time in three days, a relatively low chase was too much for the Knights, Daryl Mitchell leading the reply with just 31.

With opener Anton Devcich and Brad Wilson already back in the pavilion, two big wickets in the seventh over - Watling lbw to Brent Arnel, followed immediately by hard-hitting captain Daniel Flynn run out after a mid-pitch muck-up with Scott Styris - were the last things the home side needed.

Left needing 50 runs from the last four overs, the pressure told as wickets kept falling, the Firebirds successfully restricting their hosts to 124 for nine.

Pace bowling mentor Arnel was delighted with the team's unified effort in the field against his old side: "It was a huge win for us, one very much needed. Our bowlers knew they all needed to do the hard yards, knowing that it was likely going to be a low-scoring game."

The Firebirds face the Otago Volts on Wednesday while the Knights head to Auckland to take on the Aces the same day.