Cricket: Canterbury Wizards beat Aces in last-ball thriller

Michael Papps of Canterbury cuts the ball away during the HRV Cup Twenty20 match against Auckland Aces at Colin Maiden Park. Photo / Getty Images

Former skipper Kruger van Wyk produced a perfect captain's knock from just three balls as Canterbury timed their chase to perfection despite disciplined Auckland death bowling in their Twenty20 cricket clash at Colin Maiden Park today.

Canterbury won their competition opener by five wickets, though it was hardly comfortable as van Wyk only secured victory off the penultimate ball of the match.

At risk of butchering an achievable run chase after being set 145 to consign Auckland to back-to-back defeats, van Wyk eased Canterbury's anxieties by slamming a six off the first ball he faced in Daryl Tuffey's final over.

Needing 10 to win off the last six balls, former international Craig McMillan was bowled by Tuffey's first delivery, boosting Auckland's hopes before van Wyk coolly hoisted his sighter over the ropes.

He and fellow South African Johan Myburgh then traded singles before van Wyk pierced the infield for a match-winning two to end with one of his more memorable nine-run cameos.

Canterbury seemed to have the chase well in hand at the halfway mark at 81 for two but economical bowling from Scott Styris and particularly English import Ravi Bopara ensured the contest went down to the wire.

Once Bopara finished his four over maximum (1-20) Canterbury, despite having wickets in hand, still required a potentially tricky 18 from 12.

After limiting Auckland to 144 for six -- a score boosted by Bopara unbeaten 55 and Anaru Kitchen's 31 from 24 in the dying overs -- Canterbury raced away through Rob Nicol and captain Peter Fulton.

Nicol, who drifted south to Christchurch this season, returned to haunt his former province by crunching 52 from 35 balls. The opener cracked a quartet of boundaries and three sixes to post his half century three deliveries before his demise.

Fulton's 26 from 18 after the first over departure of Michael Papps was also influential before Canterbury was bogged down by Auckland's medium pacers and spinner Roneel Hira.

Auckland faced a similar predicament in their innings as part time spinners Nicol and Myburgh were chiefly responsible for only 21 runs being added between the ninth and 15th overs.

Myburgh conceded just 10 from his first three overs, though Kitchen spoiled his final analysis by striking sixes off the first three balls of the 17th over -- the first time an Auckland batsman cleared the ropes.

Myburgh's last over went for 21, while Bopara also finished with a flourish as consecutive sixes off Andrew Ellis enabled him to reach his half century from 42 balls.

Canterbury's win sees them join Otago and Central Districts as the unbeaten teams after the opening round. Auckland, who lost by five runs to Northern Districts on Saturday, need a result in Wellington on Friday to keep their title hopes alive.

They will be hoping Martin Guptill's hamstring has recovered sufficiently for the trip to the Basin Reserve.

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