A smashing unbeaten century for Dane Cleaver | PHOTOSPORT

Cleaver Fever at Uni Oval

High-scoring matches between the Otago Volts and Central Stags are nothing new in Dream11 Super Smash, and this match did not disappoint as batsmen enjoyed a Uni Oval surface with plenty of runs in it.

Volts captain Hamish Rutherford batted first on the fine afternoon and led from the front for his team with a top knock of 87 off just 47 balls, showing off all his class.

Rutherford's been in scorching form all year in all formats and he smashed his half century off just 32 balls in a personal milestone match - his 100th T20 for his beloved Otago Volts.

Fittingly he was batting alongside his brother-in-arms for much of it, fellow veteran Neil Broom showing all his nous with a quick 30 in support during their 84-run stand for the second wicket.

Wickets were hard to come by for the Stags in the conditions, but they did well to peg back a fast start from the Volts to hold them to a par 184 for four in the 20 overs, and the Volts would not have wanted fewer than that.

Seth Rance, Doug Bracewell, Ben Wheeler and spinner Jayden Lennox all picked up a wicket, wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver doing well to get under a skier in the windy conditions to dismiss Anaru Kitchen after his fast injection of 25 off 14 balls towards the death.

The Stags' reply saw a first-time opening combo on what was something of a veteran's day in this format with 37-year-old wild card Greg Hay (the team's first-class captain) opening the batting with youngster Bayley Wiggins in the absence of George Worker (now batting for the Aces) and Will Young (away with the BLACKCAPS).

Hay was making his first start in this format since November 2014 - after having strutted his T20 stuff in the Stags' internal camp during their week-long build-up. It was also just his 17th T20 since 2006/07, so quite the card played by the visitors.

The Volts had Jake Gibson on T20 debut and they also had an early breakthrough in Wiggins with veteran spinner Anaru Kitchen striking in his first over of the afternoon, after good early pressure created by Jacob Duffy.

Dane Cleaver began to give the chase some momentum however, and that would prove ominous.

The teams were even Stevens after the opening powerplay, Hay showing he still had it in a bustling stand with the first drop.

The pair ripped into Michael Rippon's first over (the eighth) with four boundaries off it as the spinner went for 18. It nudged the Stags ahead of the required rate, both batsmen set in their 30s.

Then Cleaver put his foot down and raced past his half century in a delightful display, Kane Williamson's cousin mixing gutsy brutality with classic cricket shots.

Hay's experience shone though in support and the pair plastered on a superb 156-run stand for the second wicket.

Cleaver (previous best: 81) raced to his first T20 century off just 48 balls (12x4, 4x6) - making it the ninth fastest in men's Dream11 Super Smash history.

Hay (T20 high score: 62*) raised his bat too with a 44-ball half century before he was finally run out on 56 in the 17th over.

Their 156-stand was easily a new T20 second wicket record for the Stags, smashing the previous 10-year-old record of 111.

The Volts had a brief celebration when they removed Tom Bruce for a golden, then Matt Bacon put himself on a hat-trick going bang-bang with Christian Leopard and Doug Bracewell.

But Cleaver was in charge and fittingly finished off a five-wicket win with six balls to spare unbeaten on 114 not out off just 54 rocks.

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