At the Kennards Hire Community Oval, New Zealand, for match no. 23 of the ongoing 12th edition of the Twenty20 Women’s Super Smash, Auckland Hearts and Otago Sparks will face off on the 14th of January, 2024, at 9:00 AM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
Auckland Hearts – Bella Armstrong, Anna Browning, Skye Bowden, Prue Catton, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green (C), Amie Hucker, Bree Illing, Fran Jonas, Josie Penfold, Molly Penfold, Saachi Shahri
Otago Sparks – Suzie Bates (C), Emma Black, Caitlin Blakely, Eden Carson, Olivia Gain, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Hayley Jensen, Molly Loe, Felicity Robertson, Linsey Smith, PJ Watkins
Players to watch out:
Anna Browning
The 20-year-old all-rounder hasn’t been anywhere near good this season; however, has sent down notable spells and will be backed to make the most of the experience. Anna has registered just 1 double-digit score of 16 while taking 3 wickets from 5 outings, maintaining an economy rate of 6.06.
Fran Jonas
The 19-year-old left-arm spinner, with 22 T20 Internationals (T20Is) under her belt, has taken 16 wickets at an economy rate of 5.18 and registered the best of 3/16. Fran continues to excel, registering figures of 1/13, 0/24, and 2/22 in her previous 3 Smash outings. She’ll be relied upon for the goods.
Bella James
The 24-year-old keeper-batter has accumulated 134 runs from 7 outings and registered the highest of 39. With scores of 26 and 21, Bella had a good start to her campaign, and following successive ducks, she registered back-to-back scores of 39. She’ll be counted on to make the most of this return to form.
Eden Carson
The 22-year-old off-spinner has bagged 23 wickets from 19 T20Is and the best of 3/18. Eden has been impressive this Smash season, picking 7 wickets from as many outings at an economy rate of 6.08. She produced a 3-fer in her most recent game and will be banked on to carry forward this momentum.
Pitch:
The Kennards Hire Community Oval dishes a well-balanced center wicket that features a fair contest with both bat and ball. It offers favorable conditions for both spinners and pacers to excel. Batters also find delight in the pitch, with an average score in the 120s.
Weather:
It will be a pleasant day for cricket at Kennards Hire Community Oval with mostly cloudy overhead and a low chance of rain. The temperature is forecasted to be around 25°C, with light winds and a humidity level of 87%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Polly Inglis, Bella James, Suzie Bates, Maddy Green, Skye Bowden, Emma Black, Prue Catton, Anna Browning, Eden Carson, PJ Watkins, Linsey Smith
Match details:
Date – January 14, 2024
Time – 9:00 AM IST
Venue – Kennards Hire Community Oval, New Zealand
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.