Now at its business end, the 12th edition of the Twenty20 (T20) Women’s Super Smash will see Auckland Hearts and Northern Brave lock horns in match number 28. The game will be played at the Kennards Hire Community Oval, Auckland, on the 20th of January 2024, at 5:00 AM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
Auckland Hearts – Bella Armstrong, Anna Browning, Prue Catton, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green (C), Brooke Halliday, Amie Hucker, Bree Illing, Fran Jonas, Josie Penfold, Molly Penfold, Saachi Shahri
Northern Brave – Eimear Richardson (C), Chamari Athapaththu, Caitlin Gurrey, Jess Watkin, Nensi Patel, Marina Lamplough, Eve Wolland, Carol Agafili, Marama Downes, Holly Topp (WK), Shriya Naidu, Lucy Boucher
Players to watch out :
Brooke Halliday
The 28-year-old batter, with 48 international outings, has managed 633 runs across both white-ball formats. Brooke has registered scores of 20 and 15 in a couple of outings this tournament and will be backed to capitalize on these starts, putting aside a silent start.
Molly Penfold
The 22-year-old pacer has scalped 4 wickets from 6 Smash outings this summer, maintaining an economy rate of 6.90. Molly has registered figures of 1/25 and a season-best of 2/26 in her previous couple of outings, and it’ll be hoped she builds on this momentum.
Eimear Richardson
The 37-year-old all-rounder hasn’t been at her best this competition, accumulating only 129 runs from 8 outings. Elimear hasn’t had a bowl, while with the bat, she has followed a string of starts with a 38 in her most recent outing and will be relied upon for the goods.
Jess Watkin
The 25-year-old all-rounder, from 8 Smash outings, has added 107 runs to the tally while also bagging 8 wickets at an economy rate of 5.74. Jess has consistently chipped in with the bat while also being amongst the wickets. It’ll be expected she makes the most of this form.
Pitch:
The Kennards Hire Community Oval wicket, while being a batting-friendly surface, suggests assistance for bowlers, especially pacers, with an average score of 123. The balanced 22-yard strip promises an engaging contest.
Weather:
The conditions at Kennards Hire Community Oval are forecasted to be bright and clear for cricket, despite cloudy overhead. The temperature is expected to hover around 24°C, with moderate winds and a humidity level of 87%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Holly Topp, Caitlin Gurrey, Maddy Green, Eimear Richardson, Prue Catton, Chamari Athapaththu, Jess Watkin, Marama Downes, Anna Browning, Fran Jonas, Molly Penfold
Match details:
Date – January 20, 2024
Time – 5:00 AM IST
Venue – Kennards Hire Community Oval, Auckland
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.