In just two weeks’ time we’ll be watching the 2018 Burger King Super Smash Grand Final. The biggest question is who will be hosting it after a week of thrills and spills on the leaderboard.
The Auckland Aces, Wellington Firebirds, Knights and Canterbury Kings have all held the top spot in recent rounds, but there is room for only three qualifiers in the Finals Series so buckle your seat for some intense competition heading into the business end this week.
While Thursday's storm-hit washout at Pukekura Park robbed the Auckland Aces of a chance to overtake the Knights for the outright lead, the city-slickers shape as one of the leading contenders for the national title — and won't be fretting about their current position in second spot.
Dynamic Aces batsman Mark Chapman is the second highest run-scorer in the competition this season, the 23-year-old's 215 runs at an impressive strike rate of 170.63 from just five innings behind only Knights opening tyro Tim Seifert who has 298 from his seven games at SR 146.07.
Both exciting young men have registered their maiden T20 century this season and Mark Chapman says having his last three round robin matches at home at Eden Park Outer Oval — the first a top-of-the-table clash with the Knights this Sunday arvo — is a useful scenario at the business end of the competition.
“It will be a very good game,” predicts Chapman. “The Knights are playing some good cricket at the moment. We’re going to have to do our research, hoping to really challenge them and see how we go.”
The Aces began their season at Outer Oval with a five-wicket win against the Stags, then beat the Firebirds at their next appearance there in a thriller.
Since then they’ve had four straight matches on the road, winning both their matches in the South Island while their visits to Wellington and the Naki were scotched by wet weather. In between, there was a dash down to the Mount, their away match against the Knights under lights the only game they have lost all season — and it was by just seven runs.
So fair enough that Finals talk has cropped up, and it hasn’t been red-carded from the dressing room chat.
“I guess with three games to go, you can’t help but think about it and where we’ll be sitting on the table at the end of the rounds,” says Chapman.
“What really works in our favour is that we’ve got these three home games to finish, and we really pride ourselves on playing well at home at Eden Park Outer Oval so we’re really looking forward to that.
“We’ve had a good five games on the road. A couple of rain-outs were not ideal, but we’re pretty happy and in a good space at the moment and looking to secure that top spot if possible.”
As a batsman who can scorch the ball around the clock, Chapman will also be pretty happy to be back lining up his targets on the shorter flanks of the buzzy boutique ground.
“Eden Park Outer Oval is a small ground, it is a batter’s paradise,” says Chapman. “It was a good challenge to try to score runs away from home, too, so I was really pleased to score some runs at Hagley.”
By “some runs,” he means 101 off 58 balls, more sixes than boundaries in his sensational winning knock against the Kings and his second fifty smoked off just 22 balls to clinch the maiden T20 ton of his career. Along the way he busted the third wicket stand record between the two teams with his clean contact.
It was Chapman's second century in a matter of weeks, after having slammed a career best unbeaten 125 in The Ford Trophy just before Smash season started. What’s been his secret this summer?
“I think it’s just been a matter of standing still and really watching the ball. And being clear in my head about what I’m trying to do. I had a really good winter of training and it’s been a lot of hard work, but I feel like the fruits of my labour are really coming to fruition now, and I’m really happy to be contributing to some winning performances.”
All three of the Aces' matches at Outer Oval this week will be broadcast LIVE on SKY Sport.
Burger King Super Smash at Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland
• Sunday 7 Jan • 4.10pm • Auckland Aces v Knights
• Wednesday 10 Jan • 4.10pm • Auckland Aces v Canterbury Kings
• Sunday 14 Jan • 4.10pm • Auckland Aces v Otago Volts
