Cam Fletcher had a day to remember at the Cello Basin Reserve as the Canterbury Kings took a big win off the Wellington Firebirds.
It was the second 2021 Grand Final rematch of the season and Fletcher's two brilliant catches formed the prelude to his racy unbeaten half century - 52* off just 28 rocks - as he helped the visitors chase down the winning runs with 21 balls to spare.
The six-wicket loss to their rivals will have stung defending champs the Wellington Firebirds where it hurts, but they didn't have enough runs to defend.
The hosts had soon come under fire from both Matt Henry (3-49) and Ed Nuttall (3-28) after Firebirds captain Michael Bracewell won the toss and batted.
Despite career bests with the bat from both young rookie Tim Robinson (32 off 26) and the more experienced Peter Younghusband (21 off 15), 151/9 always seemed light when stacked up against the Kings' batting resources.
Opening batsman Chad Bowes anchored the chase with a 41-ball 62 and formed a key 69-run fourth-wicket stand with Fletcher.
The pair's efforts kept everything in check, negating two early breakthroughs from Ben Sears, and a brace from Logan van Beek.
The win pushed the Kings to second on the table, with two wins from three matches, while the Firebirds fall to fifth place.
Article added: Wednesday 22 December 2021
