The Finals of the Women’s Super Smash 2025/26 will see defending champions Wellington Blaze face Auckland Hearts at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch. Maddy Green led from the front in the Hearts’ dominating victory by 8 wickets against Northern Brave in the Eliminator. Meanwhile, Wellington Blaze have had a phenomenal run this season, as they are unbeaten in the last 5 games. Jess Kerr will be hopeful that her side can carry the momentum forward and defend their title. A thrilling final awaits us as the two best sides of the tournament will lock horns to decide who will be crowned champions.
Squads:
Auckland Hearts Women’s Cricket Team
Maddy Green, Olivia Anderson, Bella Armstrong, Elizabeth Buchanan, Prue Catton, Lauren Down, Brooke Halliday, Amie Hucker, Bree Illing, Fran Jonas, Ayaan Lambat, Josie Penfold, Molly Penfold, Anika Tauwhare
Wellington Blaze Women’s Cricket Team
Georgia Plimmer, Jess Kerr, Xara Jetly, Rebecca Burns, Maitlan Brown, Nicole Baird, Jessica McFadyen, Hannah Francis, Jessica Simmons, Isla McKenzie, Natasha Codyre, Rachel Bryant, Gemma Sims, Sam Mackinder
Players to watch out:
Amie Hucker
Amie Hucker, the New Zealand bowler, has been in fine form in this season with her good economy rates. She is a fine pacer that can hit the right lengths and can also make use of the pace variations according to the phase of the game. This season, she has picked up 9 wickets at a fine economy rate. Her best bowling figures came right when the team needed in the Eliminator as she picked up 3 wickets against Northern Brave. She will be a key bowler for her side in the finals.
Maddy Green
Maddy Green, the skipper, has been their best player this season with her impactful contributions with both bat and ball. In her T20I career, she has scored 1193 runs from 92 innings and she has also picked up just the solitary wicket from 5 innings. This Smash season, she has scored 252 runs and has picked up 9 wickets. She bowled a sensational spell in the Eliminator, picking up 4 wickets and just giving away 21 runs from her 4 overs. She will be hoping to lead her side to title glory in the finals.
Rebecca Burns
Rebecca Burns, the New Zealand batter, has had a couple of good starts and fine contributions in her season so far. In her T20I career, she has scored 20 runs from the 2 international appearances she has made. In this season, she has scored 156 runs at a slow strike rate but has provided stability to the batting unit. She scored a gritty 32 in her previous match against Canterbury Magicians. She will be crucial to her side as she has the technical ability to anchor the innings.
Hannah Francis
Hannah Francis, the New Zealand bowling all-rounder, has had a relatively quiet season so far. She is yet to represent the New Zealand international side but has been a good performer for the U19 national side. In this season, she has scored 78 runs and picked up 3 wickets so far. She put on a phenomenal bowling display against the Magicians as she picked up 3 wickets from her 4 overs, giving away just 18 runs. She will be a crucial bowler in the setup as she can pick important wickets that can shift the momentum of the game.
Pitch:
The Hagley Oval favours the pacers as bowlers can extract a fair amount of bounce and pace from the pitch. Batters may take time to settle in but should be relatively easy to bat later on in the innings.
Weather:
The conditions for match day in Christchurch read light rain and a high of 19°C, with a 15% chance of precipitation during the day and a 25% chance at night.
Fantasy Playing XI:
Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Prue Catton, Rebecca Burns, Jess Kerr, Jessica Simons, Brooke Halliday, Xara Jetly, Nicole Baird, Amie Hucker, Hannah Francis
Match Details:
Date – January 31, 2026
Time – 6:40 AM IST
Venue – Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.
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