ROUND FIVE
Canterbury lost to Auckland Aces by 184 runs
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Points on this round: Aces 5, Canterbury 0
* Umpire Kim Cotton stood in a Ford Trophy match for the first time
View this post on InstagramEMPHATIC! Describe this performance in one word 👇 #MyTeamAuckland #FordTrophy
Colin Munro's eighth List A century was the rocket fuel behind the Auckland Aces highest ever Ford Trophy total - the first time they had joined the 400-club in the long history of the national one-day competition.
Continuing a week of powerhouse centuries from the Aces' top order, Munro blasted 167 off just 94 balls (with 22 boundaries and seven sixes) - his second Ford Trophy century in the space of five days after a similarly ballistic effort in Lincoln on Monday.
HUNDRED | Munro brings up his eighth List A hundred and his eighth for the ACES from 57 balls.
— Auckland Cricket (@aucklandcricket) November 28, 2019
And take a look at the celebration. He's hungry for more.#FordTrophy #MyTeamAuckland
ACES 155/1 (20) | LIVE SCORECARD | https://t.co/aPG5shXHle pic.twitter.com/Qmr3NXJJoM
His hundred today flying off just 57 pills, supporting half centuries from Glenn Phillips (66), Mark Chapman (70 off just 44) and Robbie O'Donnell (52 off 44), helped by an explosive 27 from Sean Solia at the death, kept the scorers busy and ensured a massive total of 401/8 went up on the board against Canterbury in the pivotal top-of-the-table clash.
It was a bat-first day all round in the last of the centralised rounds in Canterbury and the Aces had certainly recovered quickly from a big opening blow: the loss of Martin Guptill who was bowled early doors by Canterbury quick Ed Nuttall.
Munro brought up his first 50 runs off just 29 balls, with his second six.
Putting on 231 with Glenn Phillips, the pair would set a new second-wicket partnership record for matches between the Aces and Canterbury (previously it stood at 156, set by Paul Hitchcock and Richard Jones in 2006/07), continuing a busy record-busting week from the Aces top three.
As he closed in on his 150, Munro also reached his 4000th List A run en route to becoming the season's top run-scorer with his innings today and, remarkably, the side had now witnessed five centuries in the space of a week, two of those in the 150+ department in consecutive games.
Needless to say Canterbury faced a daunting chase in the quest to hang on to the top rung of the ladder against the Aces chasers breathing down their neck.
The hosts got their first hundred runs on the board inside the first 17 overs, but they were also already four down - having just lost captain Cole McConchie.
In-form opener Justin Boyle was still there with a half century, but he had lost all his top order mates with still more than 300 required.
Will Somerville then quickly added Todd Astle to McConchie in his wickets column to have the hosts a perilous five down in the 19th, the Aces sniffing a bonus point.
By the 25-over mark they were six down with Boyle falling caught to Somerville (4-48) after a gutsy 82-ball 92.
Cameron Fletcher came in and provided a quick 27 before becoming Somerville's fourth, Canterbury now 185/7 in the 31st over.
UPDATE | Ellis puts one over the Pavilion and brings up 200 runs for Canterbury.
— Canterbury Cricket (@CanterburyCrick) November 29, 2019
203/7 after 34.1 overs.
SCORECARD | https://t.co/wSfOhcbVnU pic.twitter.com/t4Sk9QMifO
Andrew Ellis and Henry Shipley were left needing 12 an over, and despite Ellis' undefeated 26* the end was nigh as Kyle Jamieson and Ben Lister zeroed in on the tail to wrap up a bonus point win with 13.2 overs in hand.
The Aces were back on top of the table.
