T20 smash and grab starts
The Twenty20 Super Smash is upon us, squeezed into a month at the height of summer, competing with the Black Caps’ series against the West Indies and Pakistan, not to mention the Big Bash and the Ashes across the Tasman.
Last season’s winners, the Wellington Firebirds, return largely unchanged, but they will face stiff competition with the Auckland Aces, Central Stags, and Northern Knights shaping as their strongest rivals.
The season starts today with a clash between the Aces and the Stags in Auckland. Here’s how the six teams shape up.
OTAGO VOLTS
The Volts finished last last season and a repeat performance this time around would be a disappointment. Rob Nicol’s wisdom should help, but leaping from last back to the finals, where they were in the 2015-16 season, will take a lot of work.
Seamer Warren Barnes broke out in this tournament in 2015, but was injured halfway through last season. Fit from the start, he should be a key weapon for the Volts, who will also have Neil Wagner for most of the campaign. Opener Hamish-Rutherford was the Volts’ star batsman last season, and Anaru Kitchen is set to be a big contributor with both bat and ball. All-rounder Jimmy Neesham has been told by the Black Caps selectors to go back and dominate domestic cricket, and if does, look out.
NORTHERN KNIGHTS
The Knights appointed Gareth Hopkins as their specialist Twenty20 coach during the offseason, but it remains to be seen what impact that will have on their fortunes. There is enough there for them to be a contender, and it will be a team effort if they turn out to be one.
All-rounder Anton Devcich missed last season due to injury, but has been one of the best batsmen in the Super Smash when fit. Wicketkeeper Tim Seifert will be out to make a strong impression, with that role up for grabs in the international game, and all-rounder Scott Kuggeleijn will need to deliver on his potential to be explosive with both bat and ball.
They will be glad to have Ish Sodhi for their first few games, but could suffer if he is called up to the Black Caps’ T20 squad. The Knights have added two import bowlers, Australian Ben Laughlin and Englishman Chris Jordan, but only for their first two matches, before the Big Bash starts.
AUCKLAND ACES
The Aces missed out on the finals last year on net run rate, after finishing with the same five-win, five-loss record as the third-placed Kings and the second-placed Firebirds. They have the potential to be in the mix again, but their relatively raw pace-bowling lineup that could be their undoing - they won’t have Lockie Ferguson after their first couple of games, when he joins the Black Caps.
Colin Munro will only feature in those early games too, but Auckland will have plenty of batsmen left once he is gone. Mark Chapman is the prototypical T20 player - a big hitter who can also get through four overs of spin, and will play a big role, while Glenn Phillips and Ben Horne are also capable of scoring plenty of runs quickly.
CANTERBURY KINGS
The Kings made the preliminary final last year, but you have to be optimistic to replicte that. Their bowling stocks have been hit hard by injuries in the early stages of the season, and they are also without two of their most promising young batsmen - Ken McClure, who stood himself down after pleading guilty to an assault charge earlier this month, and Leo Carter, who has travelled to England for personal reasons.
England star Ben Stokes hasn’t delivered for Canterbury in his three one-day matches so far, but might find T20 more to his liking. Michael Pollard appears to be their best run-scoring hope, with their three best batsmen from last season either retired - Peter Fulton - or with the Black Caps - Henry Nicholls and Tom Latham.
CENTRAL STAGS
The Stags were far and away the best team last season, but couldn’t get the job done in the final, despite reducing the Firebirds to 80-5 in the 13th over of the first innings. They are well positioned to succeed again, as they have a squad full of players who are in the international frame, but not yet regulars at that level.
Jesse Ryder has been the form batsman in domestic cricket this summer, scoring centuries in the Plunket Shield and Ford Trophy already, and will be the Stags’ linchpin. Dane Cleaver should join him for the entire campaign, but George Worker will miss some of it, as a member of the Black Caps’ ODI squad, and Tom Bruce could find himself picked in the T20 squad later on. Blair Tickner and Seth Rance stood out with the ball last season, and big-hitting Josh Clarkson remains an intriguing prospect.
WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS
Have you heard the one about the team of veterans who lost four on the trot to start the season, sent a couple of misbehaving imports packing, then turned things around and won the title, despite digging themselves a massive hole batting first?
They have most of their key men back, so it will be a case of whether or not they can rediscover the magic. They probably won’t be disrupted by Black Caps’ callups, which could be crucial.
Hamish Bennett has been in stunning form with the red ball this summer, and he will be crucial for the Firebirds with the white ball, as they seek early wickets. Grant Elliott,Hamish Marshall, Jeetan Patel and Luke Ronchi all offer valuable experience.
Matt Taylor proved to be the hero in the final last season, blazing 48 off 25 balls while former England international Samit Patel will surely offer more than Jade Dernbach and Evan Gulbis, last season’s poor pair of imports.