2020-21 Super Smash – Wellington Firebirds vs Northern Knights Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Wellington Firebirds vs Northern Knights taking place? Saturday 9th January, 2021 – 02:10 (UK)
Where is Wellington Firebirds vs Northern Knights taking place? Basin Reserve, Wellington
Where can I get tickets for Wellington Firebirds vs Northern Knights? Ticket information for the Dream11 Super Smash can be found here
What channel is Wellington Firebirds vs Northern Knights on? This match will be televised live on BT Sport
Where can I stream Wellington Firebirds vs Northern Knights? BT Sport subscribers can stream the match live via the BT Sport website & app
THE LOWDOWN
WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS
- Wellington Firebirds remain top of the Super Smash ladder having won all three of their matches played so far but they will hope to maintain their momentum after not playing for more than a week now.
- Their all-round play has been excellent so far with some of their younger talents stepping up to produce along with their big names with opening batsman Finn Allen in good form hitting 155 runs from his three innings so far.
- Their batting order is bolstered even further by the return of Blackcap Tom Blundell who is available after international duty so their batting looks even more formidable with him, Allen, Conway and Neesham.
NORTHERN KNIGHTS
- Northern Knights snapped their three-match losing start to this edition of the Super Smash by picking up a much-needed win last time out as after restricting a strong Central Stags’ batting line-up to just 117/9, they knocked it off with relative ease.
- That win will serve to give them some vital confidence coming into this game which they will need against a dominant Firebirds’ side but they will need to improve even further especially with the bat as Devcich (160) and Seifert (153) have managed good returns but no other batsmen has scored more than 63 total runs across the four games.
- Like the Firebirds, they are boosted by the availability of a Blackcap returning from international duty as Mitch Santner has been named in the squad and he will be a vital addition with both bat and ball.
THE PREDICTION
This promises to be a fascinating encounter between the Firebirds who have a 100% record and the under-performing Northern Knights. Both teams welcome back one of their New Zealand international players as Tom Blundell and Mitch Santner will add a different dimension to both teams. The Firebirds’ success so far has been based on the fact that so many of their players are in good form and that is the exact opposite of the Knights who have too many players far from their best. With Blundell coming into a formidable batting line-up for the Firebirds, they could simply have too much firepower for this under-achieving Knights team and they have to be favoured on home turf unless complacency creeps in.
