Molyneux Park to host feast of T20 games

Alexandra is one of the places to be this summer.

Molyneux Park will host six Super Smash games between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Wellington shapes as another fine spot to be. The capital will host both the men’s and women’s playoffs in early February.

The combined competition will get under way on Boxing Day at Seddon Park with the Northern Brave hosting the Auckland Aces and Hearts.

The Otago teams get their campaigns under way the next day against rivals Canterbury in Alexandra.

It is the first of three double-headers at Molyneux Park.

They host the Auckland teams on December 29 and the Central Districts teams on New Year’s Eve.

There is a short break before the Sparks and Volts travel north to play the Canterbury sides at Hagley Oval on January 7.

They also have away games against the Central Districts teams and Wellington sides before returning to Dunedin to host the Northern Brave on January 16 and the Wellington teams on January 18.

They complete the round robin with away fixtures in Auckland and Mount Maunganui.

The finals weekend on February 1-2 concludes a packed schedule released yesterday that includes 64 T20 games, comprising 32 men’s and women’s double-headers at 10 venues across New Zealand.

They are all broadcast live on free-to-air television.

Defending champions Wellington Blaze will be chasing a ninth women’s title, and the Auckland Aces are the reigning men’s champions.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Scott Weenink said the Super Smash continued to grow.

"It’s really exciting to see it continue to be so accessible to Kiwis across the country," Weenink said.

"It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase our game to fans both new and old, while building the profiles of our domestic teams and our rising stars.

"It’s fast becoming New Zealand’s favourite summer domestic competition and, with over 1.3 million Kiwis tuning in on TV alone last year, we hope to see it reach new heights this summer."