With twin wins over the high-flying Otago sides, the Auckland Hearts and Aces have both crept up the Dream11 Super Smash table this afternoon — adding further intrigue as to which teams will nail the top qualifier spot that confers direct entry to next weekend's Grand Finals in Wellington.
The Sparks and Volts now have just one round to go in their regular season and, while the Sparks remain top of the women's table on 24 points, arch rival Wellington Blaze, with three games to play, can finish on 32 for a dream home Grand Final at the Cello Basin Reserve if Melie Kerr's defending champions keep on winning (or finish on a higher net run rate, in the event of multiple teams on 28 points).
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Northern Brave also has three games to play, and likewise can finish on 28 points — if they defeat the Otago Sparks, setting up a high stakes showdown at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval on Saturday where the customarily impressive southerners will have their last shot at maximising their chance of direct entry to the big dance.
In the men's qualification race, the Volts can now reach only 22 points if they win their last regular season game, against Northern Brave on Saturday — with their net run rate now having dropped below that of the Central Stags after today's 69-run loss at the hands of the Aces on Sandringham Road.
Current leader the Stags are already on 22, Central with two rounds to play — while Northern Brave, the Canterbury Kings and Aces also have games in hand and can potentially ruin the Volts' Finals weekend plans.
The Stags are just one win away from locking in a top-three berth. But it will be all eyes on the table over the coming days, with no side locked in as yet.
BLACKCAPS and WHITE FERNS stars in form helped the Auckland teams gets twin wins for their happy home crowd at Kennards Hire Community Oval today.
The Auckland Hearts defeated the Sparks by 25 runs, after having posted a strong 162/2 - sent in by the Sparks.
Captain Maddy Green (an unbeaten 54* off 39 balls), Izzy Gaze (46 off 26) and Lauren Down (47 not out off 41) all showed their class against the strong Sparks bowling unit.
The Hearts got on top early with the ball as well, and Green (2/10) continued an excellent day out with her two big middle order wickets.
The Sparks' depth kept the hosts honest up until the death overs when Prue Catton (2/27) stopped a rampaging Hayley Jensen (21 off 13) at 103/7, the visitors going on to bat out for 135/7.
The Hearts are the third team to have beaten the Sparks in the season, but will still need some favourable results from other teams in the home run, able to reach a maximum of only 22 points if they can keep winning themselves.
Mark Chapman then continued his love affair with his home turf in the men's match, top-scoring with 68 off just 40 balls in a new Auckland T20 third partnership record of 98 with man of the moment, Bevon Jacobs (37 off 30).
Sixes flew a long way as clean-striker Jacobs again looked no match for the boundaries at his home ground . He slammed three of them, while Chapman thrilled with four of his own as they set up the Aces' big total of 197/6, after captain Sean Solia had elected to bat.
Solia (24 off 10) had got them a fast start, and went on to shuffle his bowling attack with regular success, all six bowlers getting in the wickets column as they rolled the Volts for 128, with a fat 3.4 overs to spare.
The big 69-run win pushed the Aces from fifth into third spot on the men's table, ahead of Northern Brave on net run rate, and now breathing down the Volts' necks in their late charge.
Points at a glance (number of rounds played)
MEN
Central Stags 22 (8)
Otago Volts 18 (9)
Auckland Aces 16 (8)
Northern Brave 16 (7)
Canterbury Kings 12 (7)
Wellington Firebirds 8 (7)
WOMEN
Otago Sparks 24 (9)
Wellington Blaze 20 (7)
Northern Brave 16 (7)
Auckland Hearts 14 (8)
Canterbury Magicians 12 (7)
Central Hinds 6 (8)