Cricket: Young stars shine for Auckland

Auckland's Jeet Raval. Photo / Photosport

Defending T20 champions Auckland are the early pacesetters this season, and have a couple of their young aces to thank for that.

Auckland beat Canterbury comfortably by six wickets in their second game of the McDonalds Super Smash at Hagley Oval with an over to spare today.

Chasing Canterbury's 133 for six, opener Glenn Phillips bagged his second half century in as many innings, a run-a-ball 50, sharing a match-deciding 100-run stand in 13 overs with Jeet Raval to enable Auckland to reach 134 for four.

Test opener Raval looked classy too, in making 44 off 35 balls. The win was achieved when debutant Ben Horne put any doubts to bed with a quick seven off three balls, denying Canterbury the aim of getting into the nervy last over.

''I'm learning to stay calm and play the ball on its merits," Phillips, who turned 20 last week, said.

An admiring Raval added: ''The maturity he showed for a young man is outstanding."

In two innings, Phillips has scored 105 runs off 82 balls.

Just as impressive has been 22-year-old allrounder Mark Chapman. He followed his 76 off just 32 balls against Otago with a nifty three for 22 off four overs of left arm spin against Canterbury.

The next Super Smash game is between Otago and Northern Districts in Dunedin on Wednesday, while Auckland's third game is against Northern Districts at Seddon Park on Saturday.

Points: Auckland 8 (2 games), Central Districts and Northern Districts 6 (2), Wellington 0 (1), Otago 0 (1), Canterbury 0 (2).