Cricket: Bates holds his nerve to seal Aces' win

Auckland's Colin Munro and Ronnie Hira celebrate the fall of a Canterbury wicket. Photo / Greg Bowker

Auckland held their nerve at the death to beat Canterbury by 12 runs in their T20 match at Colin Maiden Park last night.

Chasing Auckland's 180 for eight, Canterbury were tantalisingly close, needing 20 runs from the last two overs with Corey Anderson and Andrew Ellis having just brought up a 50-run partnership for the seventh wicket.

Not for the first time this season, left-arm paceman Michael Bates was the man for the moment. He produced a sharp piece of fielding off his own bowling to run out Ellis for 26 and conceded only four runs from the penultimate over.

Kyle Mills completed the job, having the young left-hander Anderson caught for 44 off 27 balls and also bowling Johan van der Wath as Canterbury finished at 168 for nine.

Canterbury's innings began bizarrely when Bates' first ball was a no-ball, but Rob Nicol was run out by a direct hit at the bowler's end from Kyle Mills.

Despite losing wickets steadily, they never let the required run-rate get out of hand.

Auckland's innings also began badly, prospered in the middle stages and lost momentum towards the end.

Opener Jimmy Adams was caught behind from the first ball he faced and Martin Guptill had time for a couple of silky cover drives before chipping a third straight to Fulton.

At 17 for two there were memories of Auckland's disastrous batting collapse against Northern Districts. But Colin de Grandhomme and Anaru Kitchen added 50 off 31 balls and took the score to 76.

Kitchen had two big sixes but was caught for 34 off 25 balls attempting a third from off-spinner Nicol. De Grandhomme followed soon after for 37, another victim for Nicol, who finished with two for 34 off his four overs.

Colin Munro and Gareth Hopkins forged another 50 partnership off just 29 balls with Munro hitting three sixes in his 37 off 37 balls.

At 138 for five, Auckland were looking at 200 in their 20 overs, but Canterbury chipped away and, while Hopkins (30) and Ronnie Hira (22 not out) were industrious, the big shots were few.

In Hamilton, Jesse Ryder bludgeoned 86 as Wellington kept alive hopes of reaching the final with an upset 43-run win over ND at Seddon Park last night. He hit 11 fours and four sixes in 47 balls, setting up the visitors' imposing total of 202 for six.