AA vs CS Match Prediction: Who Will Win Today’s Super Smash 2024-25 Match 15 Between Auckland And Central?

Bevon Jacobs and Tom Bruce (Source: @Kiwiscricketfan/X.com, @SuperSmashNZ/X.com)

The Super Smash in New Zealand is heating up with another mouth-watering clash coming up between Auckland Aces and Central Districts taking place at Mclean Park, Napier, on 15th Jan from 8:55 AM IST. Both the sides are coming off tough losses and would want to return back to winning ways to stay in the qualification scenario.

Auckland Aces

Placed fourth on the table, the Auckland Aces-led by Sean Solia, have won just one game so far, with the two others getting abandoned due to rain. However, they still have eight points, which keeps them ahead of the other two teams at this stage. The only game they have won so far was against Canterbury Kings after bettering them by a margin of 13 runs in a tight encounter.

Their previous game against Northern Brave didn't end in their favour despite the best of their efforts. After posting 187 on the board, all thanks to their newest sensation, Bevon Jacobs, who rocked the opposition with 90* from just 56 balls. His effort, however, didn't pay dividends as Brave took the game away from them with five wickets and five deliveries to spare. On a positive note, Josh McKenzie impressed one and all with his all-round contribution of 35* runs with the bat and noteworthy figures of 3/33 with the ball.

Central Stags

Their rivals for this game, Central Stags, are much more satisfied with their position on the points table as they are highly stationed at second position with 12 points from five games while having three wins and two losses under their belt. Meanwhile, they were outplayed in the last match by Otago Volts, which could be termed as a one-sided victory.

Stags could only muster 133 with the bat and then were severely thrashed by the Otago batters, who finished the game inside 10 overs. Central skipper Tom Bruce was the only one who looked decent at the crease with a 46-run knock after consuming 28 deliveries. Angus Schaw also tried his level best and played a 20-run cameo off 12 balls. From the bowlers, Blair Tickner was the only one to pick wickets as he dismissed two batters.

AA vs CS: Head-to-Head

How will the McLean Park Pitch Behave?

McLean Park in Napier will be the centre of affairs when Auckland and Central teams take centre stage, with the pitch expected to be brilliant for batting. It has generally been a high-scoring venue with plenty of runs on offer.

Pacers can extract extra bounce and movement off the surface during the initial overs, after which the pitch tends to slow down a bit. Spinners will still have to bowl tight lines here. In the last 18 T20 matches here, the side batting first have won 12 games, while the chasing side have only found success in only 6 of those matches. This clearly means setting up a score is a good idea here.

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Players to Watch Out for in AA vs CS Match 15

Auckland Aces

Martin Guptill: New Zealand veteran Martin Guptill is the second-best performer for his side with the bat this season. His highest score of 60 came at a quick time against Canterbury with classic shots on display.

Bevon Jacobs: The new rookie on the charts, Bevon Jacobs, has been phenomenal for Auckland, especially in the last game versus Northern Brave, as he took on the bowlers, smashing four sixes and eight fours in his marvellous knock of 90*.

Jock McKenzie: The 23-year-old has conveyed his importance in both departments after scoring 80 runs and picking nine wickets in the tournament so far. Can do the job for his side when required, as he consistently grabbed three wickets in the last three games.

Danru Ferns: Experienced customer Ferns has been top-class in terms of his line and lengths in this competition. The medium-pacer has bowled with an economy of 8.25 while averaging just 14.14 in the three opportunities for his side.

Central Stags

Tom Bruce: Stags' skipper Tom Bruce is a serious performer with the bat in hand as he smashed 195 runs in this edition from just five games while striking at a whopping 185.71 with his best score of 64* coming against the Brave.

Jack Boyle: Another high-performing asset on the Stags' side is Jack Boyle, who has demonstrated class and confidence in this year's Super Smash by thwacking 184 runs at 140.45 with two top scores of 77 & 66.

Dane Cleaver: Keeper-batter Dane Cleaver's ability to put his hand up for his side in difficult situations is doing great for him with 46 & 41 versus Canterbury and Northern Districts, respectively. His middle-order support is an excellent product for any team.

Blair Tickner: The pace spearhead has been the wicket-taking option, especially in the powerplay, as he gets the ball to move around early on with some extra bounce. So far, he has picked up seven wickets.

Today's Match Prediction: AA vs CS Match 15

Predicted top performers

Auckland Aces: Martin Guptill, Bevon Jacobs, Jock McKenzie

Central Stags: Tom Bruce, Jack Boyle, Blair Tickner

AA vs CS Match 15 Predicted Score

Predicted First Innings Score: 170-180 runs

Predicted Second Innings Score: 160-170 runs

Predicted Result: Team batting first will likely have an edge in the match.

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