Auckland vs Northern Knights

NK Team News

Ish Sodhi is back in the Northern Knights’ squad having been dropped from the New Zealand squad for the final two ODIs against India, but Mitchell Santner is still away. Tarun Nethula is unlikely to be dropped after his six-wicket haul last time out, however, so it will either be a seamer or a batsman making way if Sodhi returns and on recent form. With the Knights on top form, he may have to miss out. Peter Bocock is the other player in the 13-man squad who did not feature last time out.

NK Key Players

Only Nick Kelly failed to make a score as the Northern Knights thrashed Central Districts last time out, though he had scored 45 and 56 in his previous two innings to already prove his worth.

Brett Hampton was top-scorer last time out, with 64 from 31 balls, and Daryl Mitchell – who hit 78 when these teams last met – scored 61 from 23 balls. Both men hit six sixes and shared a 98-run fourth-wicket partnership.

Mitchell now has 281 runs for the tournament, while Hampton has 184 and captain Dean Brownlie has scored 196 – despite playing two matches less. Tim Siefert has been in good form since arriving from New Zealand duty too – he has 146 runs in five innings.

With the ball, Kyle Abbott has been economical since his arrival – going for just 6.10 runs per over so far – while Mitchell’s all-round ability has seen him claim five wickets and concede just seven runs per over.Scott Kuggeleijn is their leading wicket taker, with 12 from seven games – including his 4-18 when these teams last met. Last time out, it was Tarun Nethula who took the bowling headlines, however, taking 6-23 with his leg spin to record his career-best T20 bowling figures.

NK Team Form

Northern Knights have only lost one game so far, out of eight, and that was back in their second match against Central Stags.

They have impressed with bat and ball since then. They restricted Otago Volts to 99/7 to win the next match by five wickets, before defending 155/9 when these two teams last met – Scott Kuggeleijn taking 4-18 as Auckland came up just two runs short.

Against Canterbury Kings, Brett Hampton scored a half-century as the Knights reached 197/8 with two balls to spare to win by two wickets, before Daryl Mitchell’s 49 and 2-19 helped them to a 12-run win, defending 157/7, against Wellington Firebirds.
Nick Kelly scored 56 from 35 balls in a rain-affected six-run win against the Kings when they next met, before Northern thrashed Central Stags last time out. Brett Hampton and Daryl Mitchell both scored 60s in a total of 230/5, before Tarun Nethula claimed 6-23 from 19 balls as the Stags were all out for 99 in 14.1 overs in reply.