A six-laden knock from Blackcaps all-rounder Mitchell Santner has seen Northern Brave thrash Otago Volts in the men's Super Smash, picking up a seven-wicket victory in Queenstown.
Victory ignites the Brave's season, with their first win of 2022/23 after a defeat to Canterbury Kings in their opening match - their first since winning the 2021/22 Super Smash title earlier this year.
Chasing 124 for victory after the Brave restricted their hosts to 123/8 in 20 overs, Santner struck an unbeaten 41 runs from just 20 balls to see his side walk down their target with just shy of five overs to spare.
The Blackcaps' spinner hit four sixes and three boundaries in his knock, finishing with a strike rate of 205.
Santner's six-hitting heroics came in addition to a tidy spell with the ball, taking 2/19 from his four overs - taking the wickets of Michael Rippon and Jake Gibson.
However, Santner's knock could have been over on just four, when his hoick over the leg side was parried over the rope by Matthew Bacon in what became his first six of the afternoon.
From there, Santner hit another six off Rippon in the same over, before hitting 24 runs off one Dean Foxcroft over.
After Brave captain Jeet Raval won the toss and chose to field first, Northern's bowlers vindicated their skipper's decision by reducing the Volts to 9/3 inside the powerplay.
A 44-ball 40 to Rippon at the very least took Otago's score over a run-a-ball 120 but was never going to be enough against the firepower of the reigning champions.
Blackcaps wicketkeeper Tim Seifert got the Brave off to the perfect start with a 24-ball 36, including four boundaries and two sixes, setting the platform for Santner.
And needing no second invitation, Santner played his hand before Joe Carter heaved Jacob Duffy for six over long-on to hit the winning runs.
The victory moves the Brave to second on the Super Smash table, with one win and one defeat, second only to Wellington Firebirds - who've won both of their first two matches.
Otago meanwhile sit bottom of the table, after defeats against the Brave and Firebirds to start their campaign.
Otago Volts 123/8 (Rippon 40; Santner 2/19) Northern Brave 126/3 (Santner 40 not out; Finnie 1/13).
