Wellington vs Central Stags, Super Smash 2020-21
High-flying defending champions Wellington Firebirds will seal top spot in the 2020-21 Super Smash league phase with a game to spare if they beat second-placed Central Stags. The in-form Firebirds welcome the Stags to Basin Reserve on January 31 and the live action gets underway at 14:40 local time.
Wellington have won seven from eight so far, including chasing 154 – thanks to Tom Blundell’s 62* - in a seven-wicket win against Canterbury Kings last time out. The result put them eight points clear of the Kings and the Stags – who they beat by 39 runs when they last met too.
Central Stags recovered from that defeat to win five of their next six matches, but they go into this game on the back of losing to Auckland Aces. Set 200 to win, Tom Bruce’s half-century was only enough to get them to 182/7 in reply.
WEL vs CS Live Streaming
Live TV: NZ1, TVNZ Duke
Live Streaming: Spark Sport, FanCode
WEL vs CS Toss Prediction
Wellington Firebirds have won the toss in each of their last two matches and elected to field first. It could become three in a row.
Pitch Report
The clouds should clear in the afternoon in Wellington on a dry day.
Weather Report
A sunny day is forecast to make way for a clear evening, albeit a little cool, in Christchurch.
Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds and match prediction for Wellington vs Central Stags, Super Smash 2020-21.
Wellington Firebirds Team News & Playing 11
WEL Team News
Wellington Firebirds, without injured Jimmy Neesham, were unchanged last time out and after another win they could stick with that winning team again for this game.
WEL Key Players
- Michael Bracewell: In useful form with bat and ball, which he continued with another wicket at Basin Reserve last time out.
- Ben Sears: The 22-year-old has taken seven wickets across the last two wins, and looks to have made a huge step forward in the past week.
- Devon Conway: Top-scored with the bat when these teams last met and seemed to be returning to his best form last time out with a half-century at number two.
WEL Team Form
Wellington Firebirds have bounced back from their only defeat so far, with back-to-back wins against Otago Volts and Canterbury Kings. Ben Sears claimed 4-21 as they beat Otago Volts by four wickets and he took 3-34 last time out to set up victory against the Kings too. Set 154 to win, Tom Blundell (62*) and Devon Conway (50) did the damage with the bat in a seven-wicket win.
Wellington Firebirds Predicted Playing 11
Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell (c), Jamie Gibson, Troy Johnson, Logan van Beek, Peter Younghusband, Ben Sears, Hamish Bennett
CS Team News
Central Stags were unchanged last time out in Super Smash and, despite defeat, they could stick with what on paper certainly looks a strong team. The concern will be Joey Field and Josh Clarkson’s expensive bowling.
CS Key Players
- Tom Bruce: The big-hitting captain recaptured some of his best form last time out with a half-century. He boasts a T20 strike rate of 143.14.
- Doug Bracewell: Capable of some runs down the order, but has also taken eight wickets across the last four matches. He comes into this game having scored 76 runs since he was last dismissed too.
- Ross Taylor: The 36-year-old’s unbeaten 48* against Otago was a reminder of his enduring class on his return from international duty.
CS Team Form
Central Stags lost for the third time in their most recent match, but it was just their second defeat in their last seven games. Having previously beaten Otago Volts thanks to Ross Taylor’s 48* from 27 balls in a rain-shortened game, they lost control with the ball against Auckland last time out. Set 200 to win, Tom Bruce hit 52 but they could only reach 182/7.
George Walker, Dane Cleaver (wk), Will Young, Ross Taylor, Tom Bruce (c), Josh Clarkson, Kieran Noema-Barnett, Doug Bracewell, Ajaz Patel, Joey Field, Blair Tickner
Wellington Firebirds vs Central Stags Head to Head
Though Central Stags have addressed the balance in recent seasons – having once lost seven consecutive T20 matches to the Firebirds – Wellington go into this match having won the last two games between the two teams. That includes their win earlier this season, when Devon Conway hit 67 in Wellington’s 175/7 and Central Stags scored 136/9 in reply.
WEL vs CS Head to Head Stats in T20
| Matches Played |
WEL Won |
CS Won |
Tie |
No Result |
| 27 |
15 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
Wellington Firebirds’ outstanding form continued last time out and they can seal top spot with victory in this match.
Jan 31, 2021
07:10 IST / 1:40 GMT
Basin Reserve - Wellington, New Zealand
Leave Your Comment
We do our best to give you most accurate & useful match predictions and would love to hear from you. Let us know if we need to improve. Share your own predictions for the matches. Let's talk: