The Auckland Aces have secured their first win of the Super Smash season, holding off the Wellington Firebirds to score a narrow 13-run victory.
The Aces won the toss and elected to bat first at the Basin Reserve, but lost Black Caps opener Martin Guptill in the first over for just four.
George Worker (23) and Mark Chapman (55) then combined nicely, taking the score to 61 in the eighth over.
But Worker's dismissal started a mini-collapse, as Cole Briggs was run out without facing a ball and captain Robbie O'Donnell quickly followed for a duck.
The Aces battled their way to 134/9 from their 20 overs, in what seemed like an under-par score against the defending Super Smash champions.
Enter Ben Lister.
The Aces left-arm quick got the ball talking in the opening over, getting the dangerous Finn Allen to nick off second ball for a duck. He then removed pinch-hitter Logan van Beek with his final ball of the over, reducing the Firebirds to 1/2.
He knocked over Tim Robinson in his next over, giving him incredible figures of 3/1.
Lister eventually finished with 3/27, while young leg spinner Adithya Ashok ran through the middle order to take 3/8 from his four overs.
Firebirds captain Michael Bracewell (58no) tried his best to drag his side to victory, but the task proved to be too tough to overcome.
The Firebirds have now lost three straight games after opening the season with a victory.
They have fallen to fifth on the table, while the Aces remain bottom but with a game in hand.
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