Super Smash 2018-19: Full squads, fixtures and tournament preview

It’s the season for T20 cricket leagues. The Mzansi Super League just went by, the Big Bash League is already underway and with the Bangladesh Premier League, the Pakistan Super League and the Indian Premier League waiting to unleash. Amid all of them, the Super Smash 2018-19 has also arrived.

The tournament began as early as 2005. Back then, it was known as the New Zealand Twenty20 Competition. The names further changed to State Twenty20 and HRV Twenty20, before settling for Super Smash 2014–15 onwards.

Due to its low-key presence, many would not realize that it is one of the oldest T20 tournaments around. As opposed to its cousins in other countries, the Super Smash has not been able to pick up that well. The possible reason for it is a tab of two overseas players and passive broadcasting. Still, the League has been able to build a loyal fan base in more than a decade of its running.

Six teams – Auckland Aces, Canterbury Kings, Central Stags, Northern Knights, Otago Volts, Wellington Firebirds – will participate in the League that will go on from 22nd December 2018 to 17th February 2019. The tournament will begin with a double round-robin stage, with the top three teams qualifying for the playoffs, followed by a 'Preliminary Final' and the Final.

Here are our predictions for the tournament:

Highest run-scorer: Glenn Phillips (Auckland Aces) has performed well across domestic leagues and was the highest run-scorer in 2016-17

Highest wicket-taker: Blair Tickner (Central Districts) has been one of the best performing bowlers in the ‘A’ circuit and had been among the wickets in the previous seasons of Super Smash

Runners up: Northern Districts Knights are the defending champions and look good with the likes of Chris Jordan, Anton Devcich and Tim Seifert in their ranks.

Champion: Auckland Aces have been super consistent over the years and also have players like Mark Chapman, Mitchell McClenaghan, Colin Munro and Sam Curran

Here are the squads of all teams:

Auckland Aces Squad: Craig Cachopa (c), Michael Barry, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Danru Ferns, Michael Guptill-Bunce, Ben Horne, Mitchell McClenaghan, Matt McEwan, Colin Munro, Tarun Nethula, Robbie O’Donnell, Glenn Phillips, Sam Curran, Graeme Beghin, Ben Lister, Teja Nidamanuru, Aniket Parikh

Canterbury Kings Squad: Andrew Ellis (c), Todd Astle, Cam Fletcher, Leo Carter, Ben Stokes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Johnston, Jeremy Benton, Chad Bowes, Nick Kwant, Michael Pollard, Tom Latham, Ken McClure, Ed Nuttall, Cole McConchie, Henry Nicholls, Henry Shipley, Will Williams

Central Districts Stags Squad: Will Young (c), Dane Cleaver, Adam Milne, Blair Tickner, Ben Wheeler, Doug Bracewell, Ajaz Patel, Seth Rance, Josh Clarkson, Tom Bruce, Jesse Ryder, George Worker

 Northern Districts Knights Squad: Dean Brownlie (c), Tim Seifert, Daryl Mitchell, Daniel Flynn, Bharat Popli, Nicholas Frederick Kelly, James Baker, Brent Arnel, Anton Devcich, Zak Gibson, Brett Randell, Joe Walker, Brett Hampton, Scott Kuggeleijn, Chris Jordan

Otago Volts Squad: Rob Nicol (c), Matthew Bacon, Michael Rippon, Warren Barnes, Jack Hunter, Neil Broom, Derek de Boorder, Jacob Duffy, Shawn Hicks, Anaru Kitchen, James Neesham, Hamish Rutherford, Josh Finnie, Brad Wilson

Wellington Firebirds Squad: Hamish Bennett (c), Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Hamish Marshall, Iain McPeake, Stephen Murdoch, Malcolm Nofal, Matt Taylor, Logan van Beek, Anurag Verma, Luke Woodcock, Peter Younghusband, Brent Arnel, Michael Papps, Tom Blundell, Fraser Colson, Jade Dernbach, Evan Gulbis, Matt McEwan, Ollie Newton, Jeetan Patel, Michael Pollard, Luke Ronchi

 

Here’s the complete schedule of Super Smash 2018-19:

Date: December 22, 2018

Match: Northern Knights vs Wellington, 1st T20

Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton

Time: 06:00 AM GMT, 07:00 PM LOCAL, 11:30 AM IST

Date: December 23, 2018

Match: Otago vs Canterbury, 2nd T20

Venue: University Oval, Dunedin

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: December 24, 2018

Match: Auckland vs Wellington, 3rd T20

Venue: Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland

Time: 02:00 AM GMT, 03:00 PM LOCAL, 07:30 AM IST

Date: December 27, 2018

Match: Northern Knights vs Central Districts, 4th T20

Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

Time: 06:00 AM GMT, 07:00 PM LOCAL

Date: December 28, 2018

Match: Wellington vs Otago, 5th T20

Venue: Basin Reserve, Wellington

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: December 29, 2018

Match: Central Districts vs Auckland, 6th T20

Venue: Pukekura Park, New Plymouth

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: December 30, Sun

Match: Otago vs Northern Knights, 7th T20

Venue: Molyneux Park, Alexandra

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: December 31, 2018

Match: Central Districts vs Wellington, 8th T20

Venue: Pukekura Park, New Plymouth

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: January 01, 2019

Match: Auckland vs Canterbury, 9th T20

Venue: Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: January 06, 2019

Match: Northern Knights vs Auckland, 10th T20

Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: January 06, 2019

Match: Otago vs Central Districts, 11th T20

Venue: University Oval, Dunedin

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: January 06, 2019

Match: Wellington vs Canterbury, 12th T20

Venue: Basin Reserve, Wellington

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: January 09, 2019

Match: Canterbury vs Northern Knights, 13th T20

Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: January 10, 2019

Match: Central Districts vs Otago, 14th T20

Venue: McLean Park, Napier

Time: 07:00 AM GMT, 07:00 PM LOCAL, 12:30 PM IST

Date: January 12, 2019

Match: Wellington vs Northern Knights, 15th T20

Venue: Basin Reserve, Wellington

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: January 13, 2019

Match: Otago vs Auckland, 16th T20

Venue: University Oval, Dunedin

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: January 13, 2019

Match: Canterbury vs Central Districts, 17th T20

Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: January 16, 2019

Match: Northern Knights vs Canterbury, 18th T20

Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton

Time: 06:00 AM GMT, 07:00 PM LOCAL, 11:30 AM IST

Date: January 18, 2019

Match: Wellington vs Auckland, 19th T20

Venue: Basin Reserve, Wellington

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: January 19, 2019

Match: Central Districts vs Canterbury, 20th T20

Venue: McLean Park, Napier

Time: 07:00 AM GMT, 07:00 PM LOCAL, 12:30 PM IST

Date: January 20, 2019

Match: Auckland vs Otago, 21st T20

Venue: Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland

Date: January 25, 2019

Match: Central Districts vs Northern Knights, 22nd T20

Venue: McLean Park, Napier

Time: 07:00 AM GMT, 07:00 PM LOCAL, 12:30 PM IST

Date: January 26, 2019

Match: Canterbury vs Auckland, 23rd T20

Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: January 27, 2019

Match: Otago vs Wellington, 24th T20

Venue: University Oval, Dunedin

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: February 01, 2019

Match: Wellington vs Central Districts, 25th T20

Venue: Basin Reserve, Wellington

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: February 02, 2019

Match: Canterbury vs Otago, 26th T20

Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: February 02, 2019

Match: Auckland vs Northern Knights, 27th T20

Venue: Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: February 09, 2019

Match: Canterbury vs Wellington, 29th T20

Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: February 09, 2019

Match: Auckland vs Central Districts, 30th T20

Venue: Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland

Time: 03:00 AM GMT, 04:00 PM LOCAL, 08:30 AM IST

Date: February 09, 2019

Match: Northern Knights vs Otago, 28th T20

Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

Time: 06:00 AM GMT, 07:00 PM LOCAL, 11:30 AM IST

Date: February 15, 2019

Match: TBC vs TBC, Preliminary Final

Venue: TBC, TBC

Date: February 17, 2019

Match: TBC vs TBC, Final

Venue: TBC, TBC

 ©Cricket World 2018