The opening act of the 2023/24 Dream11 Super Smash is only days away, as the first four teams get ready to smash it in New Zealand's biggest city!
Auckland's Kennards Hire Community Oval - on the Sandringham Road side of Eden Park - is the home of the Auckland Aces and Hearts, and they will be hosting defending champion the Canterbury Magicians; and the perenially competitive Canterbury Kings as the new season gets lift-off this Tuesday, 19 December, from 12.30PM.
The Aces and Kings will be playing the curtainraiser to the Magicians and Hearts who will take centre stage from 4.30PM, with super-affordable tickets getting you into both T20s on the day throughout the competition, at every venue.
GET TICKETS to Auckland from just $10 J $20 A online
For those who aren't lucky enough to be there - and there is nothing like being there, every game is also live and free to air on TVNZ+ or TVNZ Duke... howzat!
All the teams have been playing in the national one-day competitions, until now - the women in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, and the men in The Ford Trophy.
If form is anything to go by there, the Aces will be the team to beat on Tuesday.
They're The Ford Trophy leaders halfway through the 10-round one-day comp that now takes a break until the end of Dream11 Super Smash, as does the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.
BLACKCAP Jimmy Neesham smashed a six-studded 81 not out off just 40 balls last week at this very same ground in The Ford Trophy, a big win with Aces teammates Sean Solia and Robbie O'Donnell also showing hot form.
The Auckland Hearts were early leaders but they're now sitting in the top three teams in the women's Hallyburton Johnstone Shield. Both these Auckland teams have lost a few of their top names like Maddy Green and Finn Allen to the BLACKCAPS/WHITE FERNS series that are happening concurrently in the country.
The Kings are missing some of their leading lights, too, like paceman Will O'Rourke who's poised for a BLACKCAPS debut. That makes the start of these T20s a good test of depth, and no less exciting or fascinating as opportunities to perform and stake a claim abound.
Who's where? BLACKCAPS squad v Bangladesh
Tom Latham - Canterbury Kings
Adi Ashok - Auckland Aces
Finn Allen - Auckland Aces
Tom Blundell - Wellington Firebirds
Mark Chapman - Auckland Aces
Josh Clarkson - Central Stags
Jacob Duffy - Otago Volts
Kyle Jamieson - Canterbury Kings
Adam Milne - Wellington Firebirds
Henry Nicholls - Canterbury Kings
Will O’Rourke - Canterbury Kings
Rachin Ravindra - Wellington Firebirds
Ben Sears - Wellington Firebirds
Ish Sodhi - Northern Brave
Will Young - Central Stags
At all venues, gates open one hour before the first ball of the first game, and the earlier you arrive, the more action you will see!
Free giveaways, big screens, food, drink and all you need for a fun day out is at the park.
The Wellington Blaze and Firebirds and the Otago Sparks and Volts will be the next teams in action, on Thursday at the Cello Basin Reserve, with all the pohutukawa in full bloom and ready and waiting for you at this iconic summer venue.
Then it's the great rivalry between the Districts teams on Friday, Northern Brave women hosting the Central Hinds on Friday afternoon, and the Central Stags and Northern Brave men under lights at Seddon Park.
It's the same place these two men's teams have contested a Dream11 Super Smash not once, but twice in recent years, and the Brave men will head in as the league's defending men's champion this season.
This summer's Dream11 Super Smash continues right through the holiday season, until we reach the Finals at the end of January.
Make sure you catch a game or two near you!
All images | PHOTOSPORT
