Women’s T20, elimination final
Hamilton, 6pm
Teams
Northern Brave: Chamari Athapaththu, Jess Watkin, Caitlin Gurrey, Nensi Patel, Marina Lamplough, Eimear Richardson, Eve Wolland, Carol Agafili, Holly Topp, Marama Downes, Shriya Naidu, Lucy Boucher.
Central Hinds: Georgia Atkinson, Hollie Armitage, Natalie Dodd, Emma McLeod, Hannah Rowe, Mikaela Greig, Thamsyn Newton, Rosemary Mair, Flora Devonshire, Priyanaz Chatterji, Claudia Green, Ashtuti Kumar.
Head-to-head record
The Hinds won by six wickets in Hamilton and by six runs in Palmerston North.
The Hinds have been the surprise package this season. They started with back-to-back wins against the Brave, and their narrow six-run win against Canterbury in a rain-affected game was book-ended by two abandonments. They picked up two points for a tie with competition front-runners Wellington and a healthy 18-run win against Auckland got them through to the playoffs. They lost both matches to the Sparks, though. And they were not as convincing in the second half of pool play.
The Brave were dead last three games ago. But they had a game in hand and went on a winning streak to secure hosting rights for the elimination final. They lost three of their first four games, but that one win was against Wellington and was a clear signal how dangerous they can be when they get it right. Their season hung in the balance in a rain-affected game against Canterbury. They scraped through by one run and that proved critical. They sealed their spot with a big win against Auckland and edged the Sparks in what was effectively a quarterfinal in Dunedin on Tuesday.
News
Experienced wicketkeeper-batter Natalie Dodd has returned from a back niggle which forced her to miss the last three rounds. Seamer Thamsyn Newton also returns to bolster the Hinds side.
The Brave have an unchanged lineup.
Game breakers
Sri Lankan international Chamari Athapaththu has power to spare and that singles out the Brave’s opener as a major threat. She has thumped 210 runs at a strike rate of 128.83. Team-mate Marama Downes has been the best seamer in the competition. She has snapped up 15 wickets at an average of 11.47, all while going for under a run a ball.
The Hinds have a strong bowling unit and will lean on Rosemary Mair (nine wkts at 21.33) and Hannah Rowe (seven wkts at 27.86) to strike, while English import Hollie Armitage has carried a heavy load with the bat. She has scored 219 runs at an average of 27.38. Rowe has also made a chunky contribution with the blade. Dodds and Newton will have an impact as well.
Prediction
The Brave have got all the momentum, while the Hinds have been boosted by the return of Dodds and Newton. But can anyone beat Wellington in Sunday’s final?
Hamilton, 2pm
Teams
Canterbury Kings: Chad Bowes, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Cole McConchie, Mitch Hay, Michael Rippon, Bevon Jacobs, Zak Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Michael Rae, Will O'Rourke.
Wellington Firebirds: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Gareth Severin, Nick Kelly, Muhammad Abbas, Michael Bracewell, Troy Johnson, Nathan Smith, Logan van Beek, Adam Milne, Peter Younghusband, Ben Sears, Jesse Tashkoff,
Head-to-head record
One apiece. The Kings won Monday’s match at the Basin Reserve by 18 runs. The Firebirds enjoyed a 21-run win at Hagley Oval earlier this month.
Form
The Kings have been consistent. Two of their three losses have been against Auckland, who have set the benchmark this season, and the other was against Wellington, who they will play in the elimination final. Their 90-run win against the Northern Brave last week indicated just how formidable they are as a unit.
The Firebirds have had one more loss but managed five wins in a tightly-contested round-robin. They started hot with a monster win against the Volts but dropped a game to the other four sides in the competition.
News
Both teams are laden with internationals. Wellington will be missing Tom Blundell and Tim Robinson, who is the competition’s leading scorer. But they are bolstered by Black Caps Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra and they are proven match-winners. Canterbury sub in Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson and Ish Sodhi in what was already a strong bowling lineup.
Game breakers
Where do we start. Canterbury have more Black Caps. They boast nine past or present players. Henry Nicholls has done the heavy lifting with the bat. He has belted 274 runs at an average of 45.67 and strike rate of 150.55. Fellow Black Cap Tom Latham is another prolific scorer. With the ball you cannot go past Matt Henry. He is just so lethal.
The Firebirds will lean on Nathan Smith to create pressure. He has a dot ball percentage of 50% this season and has 12 wickets at 18.33, while Logan van Beek has 14 wickets at 19.43. Conway and Ravindra shape as key players with the bat, but Nick Kelly is another dangerous player and he has been in very decent form.
Prediction
Flipped a coin and it came up tails. Canterbury to win.
