Far from a dead rubber, the match provided an opportunity for TCT to fine tune their grand final preparations, and with only net run rate separating 4th and 5th, the result proved enough to cast the Superkings down to 5th and out of the friendly next week.
Simon Wetherell won the toss for TCT and choose for his side to bat. He and Andrew McMillan got away to flying start thanks to inaccurate bowling. The first over bowled by Aamir Ali went for 18 runs in total. The next two overs went for just 4 runs but the TCT stroke makers couldn’t be held down for long and raced to 93 from 9 overs.
At that time, Wetherell (35 runs from 31 balls) succumbed to the warm conditions and retired from his innings. At drinks TCT were 109/1 McMillan 51 not out.
McMillan put the Superkings to the sword after the drinks break. Leg-side boundaries were a feature of McMillan’s innings as he entertained the onlooking PACT players in the stands and powered himself to the highest T20 score at the ACG.
With a century in sight, Mudasir Rehman found McMillan’s edge and Rahul Dangwal took the catch. Hico McDonald and Craig Murphy added another 15 runs from the last 9 balls to post the highest total of the Outrigger T20 season.
TCT 196/3, McMillan 96 (61), Wetherell 35 (31), M.Rehman 1/33.
Needing a close result to hold on to 4th position the Superkings had an early setback losing 2/10 to a great spell of bowling from Barrie Buck. Shah Ullah did what he could for the Superkings dragging their score up to 64/2 at the drink break.
Mark Whetton trapped Ullah 42 (46) LBW in the 13th over and regular wickets fell thereafter. Wetherell gave all 10 of his players a bowl in preparation for next Sunday’s final.
The Superkings innings finished on 6/132, Ullah 42 (46), M.Rehman 23 (34), Buck 2/6.
The score wasn’t enough to improve their net run rate and will mean that after Patong and TCT play in the Outrigger T20 Final to be held at the Alan Cooke Cricket Gound on Sunday ( Sept 27), Laguna will play the Phuket Asian Cricket Team (PACT). Andrew McMillan