The Canterbury Kings' late charge has meant curtains for the team that lit up the early stages of the men's competition.
Through the meat of the season, it was either the electrifying Otago Volts or roaring Central Stags on top of the ladder, the two high-flying squads locked in their own mini-duel for supremacy.
But the Volts' flat finish to their campaign left them vulnerable to being overtaken in the top three by teams that still had games in hand - and that's exactly what's happened on the men's super tight table.
When the Canterbury Kings beat Northern Brave at Hagley Oval tonight, they drew level with the Volts on 18 points.
But with the Kings finishing with a better net run rate, it means they now sit in the top trio on the points table, bumping the Volts into the fatal fourth position - no longer in contention for the Finals.
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PHOTOSPORT
While the Kings will be savouring their comprehensive 56-run win against the Brave - topped off by Kings captain Cole McConchie's career-best 4/31 with the ball, the Kings will also be watching their back.
Like the Volts, they have now finished their 10 rounds, with the Aces, Stags, Brave and Firebirds are all in action over the next two days, and the Aces, and Firebirds both capable of bumping the Kings down into the bottom three and therefore ending the Kings' charge this year.
With just the two doubleheaders to go before Finals, the Stags remain the only men's team to have already qualified for the Cello Basin Reserve deciders, although they still don't know whether they are headed to the Elimination or Grand Final.
Still up in the air | PHOTOSPORT
If they beat the Aces tomorrow in Napier, it's the Grand Final direct entry berth locked in.
If the Aces win, they bump out the Kings and then it's over to Northern Brave as to whether they can beat the Wellington Firebirds with a big enough margin to boost their net run rate as to whether they get to claim the Grand Final berth.
And the Firebirds? Even from the bottom of the table on 16 points after nine games, they can still make the playoffs if they beat the Brave and finish with a higher net run rate than anyone else who ends up on 20 points (which could be the Aces as well as the Brave).
The Kings, runners up for the past four seasons, will meanwhile be hoping the Stags beat the Aces and the Brave beat the Firebirds - that's the only way their dream of winning their first Dream11 Super Smash title since way back in 2005/06 - the inaugural summer of the competition, 19 years ago - can stay alive.
Current Points Table
