Rain scuttled the dead rubber as the Central Districts Stags bailed out with an 11-run victory when the numbers had been crunched under the Duckworth-Lewis method in Auckland last night.
That would have left the Rob Nicol-skippered Auckland Aces crying in their beers pondering what-ifs as they slid from the top rung a few rounds ago to finish fourth on the ladder on equal 20 points with the Wellington Firebirds and the Canterbury Kings above them on a marginally superior run rate.
The Firebirds, who beat the Kings by 12 runs in a rain-reduced super over (5 overs) at the Basin Reserve yesterday, will host the latter again in the preliminary final of the McDonald's Super Smash T20 on Thursday. That game will decide who earns the right to face the Stags in New Plymouth on Saturday in the grand final.
The Wellingtonians, who had a sluggish start to their campaign, came through with somewhat of a Houdini act.
At Eden Park, the Aces posted a bullish target of 212-4 on the platform of a superb 116 not out from opener/wicketkeeper Glenn Phillips off 57 deliveries and 50 runs from No3 Jeet Raval off 37 balls.