It’s official. Hamilton’s Seddon Park will be the exciting big stage for the 2018 Burger King Super Smash Grand Final.
The Knights clinched the hosting rights with a four-wicket win over the Canterbury Kings at the same ground this afternoon — a victory which ultimately also knocked the gutted Kings out of Finals contention.
Scores
The Knights earn direct entry as well as hosting rights to Saturday’s lucrative Grand Final while, shortly afterwards at Wellington’s Basin Reserve, the Central Stags defeated defending champions the Wellington Firebirds to shimmy past the Kings on points and therefore snaffle the last available spot in big Wednesday’s 2 v 3 Elimination Final.
Scores
That sudden death playoff will be hosted by the Auckland Aces at Eden Park Outer Oval and Central Stags coach Heinrich Malan says that despite an early-season loss at the venue that the Aces like to think of as their fortress, the Stags will head to Auckland feeling confident after having strung together three solid wins on the bounce to qualify.
“We’ve played some good cricket at Eden Park Outer Oval over the last couple of years — the last game that we played up there in this competition was the first time we had lost up there in three or four games, so we’ve got a good track record and we’re looking forward to it on Wednesday," says Malan (below).
The coach who also took the Stags to last year's Grand Final was gratified to see his side backing it up again today after having been second to last on the table at the New Year.
"We obviously didn’t play our best cricket at the start of the campaign, but at the business end, we came good and we’re just pleased we’re one of the teams that made it through to the final three in a tight finish."
For the Wellington Firebirds, it was naturally a disappointing finish to bow out on their home ground in front of a strong crowd on a hot summer’s day during which the mercury hit 26 degrees — and it felt even warmer than that in the middle, says their iconic spinner Jeetan Patel.
“It brought back memories of what it was like here when I was a kid coming to watch game, a fantastic crowd for domestic cricket.
“But we’ve only really got ourselves to blame for missing out while the Central Stags played some fantastic cricket today and also on Friday in New Plymouth; and deserve their spot in the Finals. I personally think they’re probably the best team in the comp.
“For us, we obviously got so close in a couple of games [losing to the Knights by a solitary run] and we will look back and know we probably needed those points. We rue missing out on those points in those games.”
Wednesday’s Elimination Final between the Auckland Aces and Central Stags will begin at 4.10pm, LIVE on SKY Sport.
The Aces can brush aside their hiccup in the last round. PHOTOSPORT
Saturday’s televised Burger King Super Smash Grand Final will begin at 4.00pm 20 January, with a reserve day of Sunday 21 January should weather prevent a result.
The Grand Final carries a prize purse of $100,000, with the winner claiming $80,000 and the losing side, 20,000. There is no prizemoney for third place, incentivising all three finalists to fight tooth and nail for a financial windfall.
The Knights hosted the Grand Final at Seddon Park in the 2013/14 season, the only time they have won the national title.
