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In the last match of the league stage of the Men’s Super Smash 2021-22, Wellington Firebirds will take on Northern Brave at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Monday.
Wellington Firebirds are in third position in the points table. They have won five games and lost four, and have 20 points to their name. They beat Auckland Aces in their last fixture.
After being asked to bowl first, they restricted Aces to 121-9. They then completed the chase in the 15th over and with eight wickets in hand. Northern Brave, meanwhile, are the table-toppers, and have already sealed their place at the top of the table. They have lost only one of their nine games, and are riding on confidence. They beat Canterbury Kings in their last game.
Bowling first, they allowed the Kings to post 173-6. Tim Seifert then led their charge with the bat with an unbeaten 88 to guide his team across the line with eight wickets in hand.
Wellington Firebirds vs Northern Brave Match Details
Match: Wellington Firebirds vs Northern Brave, Match 30, Men’s Super Smash 2021-22.
Date and Time: January 24th, 2022, Monday; 07:10 AM IST.
Venue: Basin Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Basin Reserve is a balanced track. Batters will have to be patient early on in their innings, but once set, they should be able to play their strokes freely. Bowlers might get some lateral movement off the surface with the new ball early on.
Weather Forecast
The temperature in Wellington on matchday is expected to hover between 17 to 22 degrees Celsius. There could be a cloud cover during the day.
Probable XIs
Wellington Firebirds
Hamish Bennett picked up three wickets, while the other bowlers stepped up too as they restricted the Aces to a modest total in their last game. Contributions from Michael Bracewell (54*) and Tom Blundell (41*) helped them chase down the total with many overs to spare.
Probable XI
Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Michael Bracewell (c), Tom Blundell (wk), James Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Logan van Beek, Peter Younghusband, Ben Sears, Hamish Bennett.
Northern Brave
Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner picked up two wickets apiece as they restricted the Kings to 173 in their last game. Tim Siefert then scored 88*, and was well-supported by Jeet Raval (36) as the Brave chased down the total with five deliveries to spare.
Probable XI
Katene Clarke, Tim Seifert (wk), Jeet Raval (c), Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Henry Cooper, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Joe Walker, Trent Boult.
Match Prediction
Both teams are coming off wins in their last fixtures. The Firebirds beat the Aces comprehensively, whereas the Brave won a close-fought contest against the Kings. It could all come down to who handles nerves better in crunch situations on Monday.
Northern Brave have a good balance in their ranks, so expect them to come out on top on Monday.
Prediction: Northern Brave to win this game.
Live telecast details and channel list
TV: N/A.
Live Streaming: FanCode.
