The Otago Volts take on the Wellington Firebirds in the season's 15th match, at John Davies Oval, Queenstown. It's a showdown between the teams at the bottom of the standings. Otago is currently in fifth place with six points from five games, while Wellington is in last place with four points from four games.
The two teams latest contests were not memorable as they were handed defeats. First, the Volts were defeated by the Canterbury Kings by a margin of 36 runs. The only highlight for the Volts in that game was captain Rutherford's knock of 62(48). The Firebirds, on the other hand, were defeated by the Aces by just 13 runs after failing to chase a 135-run target. Michael Bracewell, who was unbeaten on 58(46), was the lone player in the uncompleted chase.
Josh Finnie, who returned from injury for the Otago, will now be available to play. And the rest of the team will include players who have appeared in the majority of the games, thus far. The visiting captain, on the other hand, may alter the team's lineup slightly. James Neesham has returned to the Firebirds' squad, and they are overjoyed to have him back. Both teams are looking to improve on their previous performances in order to make a statement in this tournament.
This Super Smash's league game will be played for the first time this season, and the captains are unsure about the big decisions that must be made. As a result, the bat and ball should compete fairly.
Match Details:
Otago Volts vs Wellington Firebirds- 15th Match
Date and Time: December 28, 2021, 7:10 AM IST
Venue: John Davies Oval, Queenstown
Broadcast: Fan Code
Pitch Report:
The pitch will be nice and hard helping both the batters and the bowlers equally. Seamers might extract more from the surface. The average first innings total at the ground is around 155-160. Usually, the captain who wins the toss here prefers to field first.
Weather Conditions:
According to the forecasts, it will be clear most of the day with lots of clouds hovering around.
Probable Playing XI:
Otago Volts
Hamish Rutherford (c), Josh Finnie, Neil Broom, Anaru Kitchen, Max Chu (wk), Nick Kelly, Llew Johnson, Michael Rippon, Jacob Duffy, Matthew Bacon, Angus McKenzie.
Wellington Firebirds
Finn Allen (wk), Logan van Beek, Hamish Bennett, Ben Sears, Ollie Newton, Peter Young husband, James Neesham, Troy Johnson, Michael Bracewell (c), Luke Georgeson, Nathan Smith.
CE Fantasy XI:
Hamish Rutherford, James Neesham, Anaru Kitchen, Hamish Bennett, Michael Rippon, Logan van Beek, Jacob Duffy, Llew Johnson, Michael Bracewell.
Captain- Finn Allen
Vice-Captain- Neil Broom