Central Stags vs Wellington Firebirds Match Prediction

Central Stags will begin their Super Smash campaign on December 27 when they take on Wellington Firebirds at Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North, starting at 7.10 AM IST. The Stags, led by Tom Bruce, finished fourth on the points table last season, having won four matches and lost six. The Firebirds, meanwhile, have got off to an excellent start this year, beating Otago Volts by eight runs in the second match of the competition.

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Central Stags vs Wellington Firebirds Chance of Winning

In their previous five T20 meetings, the Firebirds have had the last laugh on four occasions, including a hard-fought two-wicket victory earlier in January. Yet, the bookmakers have handed the Stags the favourable odds of 1.73 while the Firebirds have been assigned an odds of 1.91.

Our Prediction

In their recent encounter, the Firebirds, despite posting a moderate total of 152/8 batting first, successfully defended against Otago Volts, restricting them to 144/7. Their potent bowling attack, comprising Adam Milne, Logan van Beek, and Rachin Ravindra among others, stepped up together, with Milne being the most impressive by claiming 2/24. Therefore, our suggestion for the punters would be to keep faith in their bowlers again to help the Firebirds win two in two games.

CD to win @ 1.73 (Melbet)
WEL to win @ 1.91 (Melbet)

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CD vs WEL Prediction & Betting Tips 2022

The Stags will miss the services of Ajaz Patel and Blair Tickner, who are currently in Pakistan for New Zealand’s ongoing Test series. The Firebirds, too, won’t have Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, and Devon Conway for the same reason. Bracewell had a stupendous competition last time, aggregating 478 runs at an average of 79.67 and a strike rate of 148.91. Surely, the Firebirds, on paper, will be comparatively weaker in his absence, but his teammates, by producing a spirited performance altogether, did not make others feel the same.

For the Stags, the middle-order duo of Tom Bruce and Dane Cleaver hold the key for their side. Both Bruce and Cleaver showed composure throughout the competition last time but received little support from the others. While Bruce had scored 267 runs from 10 innings at a strike rate of 163.80, Cleaver had recorded even better, amassing 369 runs at 166.21 after playing a match fewer than the former.

Among the Stag bowlers, Seth Rance, who picked up 15 wickets in 10 matches in the competition last time, will be crucial for their success. The right-arm quick has a knack for picking wickets in the death overs, which restricts the opponents from ending their innings with a flurry.

CD vs WEL Match Toss Prediction

So far this season in Super Smash, three matches have been completed, and of them, two were won by the team who came to bat second. The Firebirds’ victory was the only occasion when the batting first side ended up winning the contest. For the Stags, three of their four wins came last season when they walked out to bat first. Hence, both sides are expected to opt to bat after winning the toss.

Weather Report

As per Accuweather, there is only a 2% probability of precipitation in Palmerston North during match time (starts at 2.40 PM local time), and a 21% cloud cover in the morning, which will increase to 41% during the afternoon. Thus, it is unlikely that the contest will be interrupted due to unpleasant weather.

CD Player List

CD squad for Super Smash:Ma’ara Ave, Tom Bruce (c), Doug Bracewell, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Liam Dudding, Greg Hay, Curtis Heaphy, Jayden Lennox, Seth Rance, Brett Randell, Brad Schmulian, Ben Smith, Ray Toole, Bayley Wiggins, Will Young, Jack Boyle, Will Clark, Mason Hughes, Brett Johnson, Ross Taylor.

Predicted Playing XI

Ben Smith	Batsman
Jack Boyle	Batsman
Brad Schmulian	Batsman
Dane Cleaver	Batsman and Wicket Keeper
Tom Bruce	Captain and Batsman
Josh Clarkson	Batsman
Doug Bracewell	All-rounder
Brett Randell	Bowler
Seth Rance	Bowler
Jayden Lennox	Bowler
Raymond Toole	Bowler

CD Team Form

The Stags recently beat the Firebirds by 18 runs in their Ford Trophy fixture on December 18. They posted 268.6 batting first, with Tom Bruce top-scoring 66-ball 80 and Jack Boyle scoring 89-ball 63. After that, Bruce starred with the ball as well, taking three wickets in an over to reduce the Firebirds to 140/7 before rain interrupted the game and did not allow any more play, resulting in a Stags win via DLS.

WEL Player List

WEL squad: Finn Allen, Nick Kelly, Rachin Ravindra, Troy Johnson, Nathan Smith, Tim Robinson, Callum McLachlan (wk), Adam Milne, Logan van Beek, Michael Snedden, Ian McPeake, Peter Younghusband (c)

Predicted Playing XI

Finn Allen	Batsman
Nick Kelly	Batsman
Rachin Ravindra	All-rounder
Troy Johnson	Batsman
Nathan Smith	Batsman
Tim Robinson	Batsman
Callum McLachlan	Wicket Keeper
Adam Milne	Bowler
Logan van Beek	Bowler
Peter Younghusband	Captain and Bowler
Michael Snedden	Bowler

WEL Team Form

Before the latest eight-run victory over Otago Volts, the Firebirds had a terrible form in the Ford Trophy, having lost three matches on the trot against Central District, Northern Knights, and Canterbury. However, they got an ideal start in this competition, which leads them to claim the top of the points table in the early days.

CD vs WEL Head to Head

The Stags and the Firebirds have met each other in 31 T20s so far, of which the Firebirds ended up winning 17 times. The Stags, on the other hand, had emerged victorious on 13 occasions while one match was finished with no result.

CD vs WEL Betting Odds

Rachin Ravindra to score over 18.5 @1.83

Coming at No. 3, Ravindra played beautifully against Otago Volts, hitting three fours and as many sixes in his 45-ball 67 to top score for his side. Given the fact he plays as an anchor, the 23-year-old should carry the momentum against the Stags as well, albeit his T20 career average is just below (16.65 after 27 innings) the market we are recommending to.

CD vs WEL Top Team Batsmen

Dane Cleaverto be CD’s top batter @4

Cleaver, Kane Williamson’s cousin, had an outstanding Super Smash campaign last year, tallying 369 runs from nine matches at an aggressive strike rate of 166.22. Although his recent List A record was not so impressive, with 53 being his highest score, his numbers are expected to go up when he will return to his most-preferred format – T20s.

Finn Allen to be WEL’s top batter @3.4

As usual, Allen got off to a fiery start last time against Otago Volts, scoring 21 off just 11 balls before walking back to the pavilion. With 280 runs at a strike rate of 200, he was the highest-run scorer in the Super Smash in the last edition, and with the kind of explosive start he has got, there is no doubt he will be the most clinical batter for his side.

CD vs WEL Top Team Bowlers

Doug Bracewellto be CD’s top bowler @3.5

With 14 wickets in nine matches last season, Bracewell enjoyed significant success for the Stags. The 32-year-old will look to start this year just where he left off. Notably, he has 86 wickets in 77 T20 innings, which, undoubtedly, makes him the leader of the pack.

Adam Milne to be WEL’s top bowler @3.74

Milne showed his class against Otago Volts, returning figures of 4-0-24-2 to help his side defend a middling total. Having him in the mix is a blessing for the Firebirds, given his previous records for both club and country whenever his side required him the most. Surely, he will be the most threatening bowler among the quality Firebirds' bowling attack, which will have Ben Sears and the returning Ollie Newton as well.