Wellington Firebirds are set to face Canterbury Kings in match no. 29 of the Super Smash 2023-24 season. This will be the last league match of the season for both sides. Wellington, with 22 points, has secured their place in the ‘Eliminator Final.’ On the other hand, the game is crucial for Canterbury if they too want to end in the top 3.
A loss against Wellington could potentially drop Canterbury’s Net Run Rate below that of the Central Districts, with both teams currently tied at 20 points. Meanwhile, the Auckland Aces have already secured a spot in the final by topping the table with 28 points.
Basin Reserve, Wellington will host the WF vs CTB match. Before this game, the venue has hosted four home games of the Firebirds in this season. The hosts managed to win only one of these matches, with two ending in defeat, and one being abandoned due to rain.
Wellington Cricket Stadium T20 Records (Super Smash Stats Since 2022)
Wellington has hosted 9 Super Smash matches since 2022. The venue has been prone to rain, with a 60% chance of rain also predicted for the upcoming WF vs CTB match.
- Matches Played: 9
- Won by the team batting first: 3
- Won by the team batting second: 4
- No Result: 2
- Biggest score while batting first: Wellington – 234/5 (20) vs Otago, 2023
- Lowest score while batting first: Wellington – 102/10 (18.3) vs Northern Knights, 2023
- Biggest total chased: Canterbury chased 148 vs Wellington, 2022
- Lowest Score Defended: Auckland defended 119 vs Wellington, 2022 (DLS)
- Wellington Cricket Stadium average 1st innings score in men’s Super Smash: 148
- Wellington Cricket Stadium average 2nd innings score in men’s Super Smash: 137
- Best figures for a Pacer: Logan Van Beek (Wellington) – 4/14 vs Auckland, 2022
- Best figures for a Spinner: Louis Delport (Auckland) – 3/21 vs Wellington, 2022
- Highest score by a Batter: Tim Robinson (Wellington) – 139(44) vs Otago, 2023
Basin Reserve Wellington Pitch Report for WF vs CTB Match
The Basin Reserve in Wellington is generally considered a well-balanced pitch, offering opportunities for both batsmen and bowlers to make an impact. However, with overcast conditions predicted for the WF vs CTB match, the pace bowlers might receive some extra assistance. In such weather, teams are likely to prefer bowling first.
At Basin Reserve this season, in one game, Wellington displayed a solid batting performance by scoring 234 runs against Otago. However, in another match against the Northern Knights, things took a downturn as the Wellington team was bowled out for just 102 runs. The second match was played on a rainy day, which provided assistance to the pace bowlers from the surface.
Basin Reserve Wellington Last T20 Match Scorecard (Last Super Smash Match)
The last match at Wellington was played between the hosts and the Northern Knights. Due to rain, the match was reduced to 18.3 overs. In this game, the Northern Knights successfully chased down the target of 102 runs.
| Wellington: 102-10 (18.3) | Northern Knights: 105-3 (15.3) |
| Nathan Smith: 26(21) | Jeet Raval: 32(28) |
| Jesse Tashkoff: 17(13) | Henry Cooper: 25(26) |
| Peter Younghusband: 13(19) | Peter Bocock: 16*(16) |
| Scott Kuggeleijn: 4 – 0 – 14 – 2 | Nathan Smith: 4 – 0 – 16 – 1 |
| Zak Gibson: 3 – 0 – 18 – 2 | Logan van Beek: 4 – 0 – 24 – 1 |
| Matthew Fisher: 2 – 0 – 12 – 2 | Michael Bracewell: 3.3 – 0 – 39 – 1 |
| Match Result: Northern Knights won by 7 wickets |