With three victories already in this summer's Dream11 Super Smash, our CENTRAL HINDS have already celebrated as many T20 wins as in the last two seasons combined.

It's been a tough few years for the Hinds on the T20 front, but now the former cellar dwellers are top of the table and unbeaten almost halfway through the league calendar.

All three of the exciting wins have gone down to the wire, with the team showing they can handle the pressure.

The fielding has also been electric, with this season's debutantes THAMSYN NEWTON and HOLLIE ARMITAGE leading the way.

Roll in some gorgeous wickets for young ASHTUTI KUMAR and the ever increasing all-round clout of WHITE FERNS HANNAH ROWE and ROSEMARY MAIR and it's clear this isn't a side to take lightly anymore.

Kumar is one of the T20 summer's leading wicket-takers so far with contributions of 1/21, 2/19 and 2/13 as well catches and runouts as she makes her presence felt in the field.

The team began with a first-up away win in Hamilton, beating Northern Brave by six wickets with just three balls to spare. That made it back-to-back wins at Seddon Park, with the Hinds' only T20 last summer having come at the same ground in the final round robin match.

Next it was a home game in Palmerston North against the Brave again, the Hinds winning this one by six runs after restricting Brave's chase to 135/7 in front of a big Fitzherbert Park crowd.

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Wet weather saw the next match, at Pukekura Park against the Auckland Hearts, abandoned without a toss made - the points shared, but a match you would have backed the Hinds to win.

They made up for it the next day by coolly despatching defending champions the Canterbury Magicians, who had dynamic Pakistan captain Fatima Sana fortifying their ranks as well as WHITE FERNS star Lea Tahuhu.

The Hinds won the rain-reduced game by six runs [DLs] after having put 79/3 on the board in their 12 overs and then restricting the Magicians to 54/8 in eight overs in another last-over thriller.

The Central Stags are meanwhile mid-table after one win, a washout and two losses so far, but on a tight men's table it's still anybody's game.

The teams are next in action in Christchurch this Friday (5 January, live and free to air on TVNZ+ and Duke) before heading home to McLean Park, Napier for 8 January and 10 January doubleheaders.

It's the first time in two years that Dream11 Super Smash will be back in Hawke's Bay and plenty of fun and festivities are planned to celebrate.

The 8 January matchday sees the Stags up first against the Wellington Firebirds - currently top of the men's table - from 2PM, with the Hinds playing the evening match under lights for the first time at this venue, from 6PM, against Wellington Blaze.

There will be heaps of spot prizes, including BLACKCAPS and WHITE FERNS gear and exclusive ground-only merch, to win if you simply come along in your club kit to celebrate club cricket in the Bay.

The January 10 matchday is against the Otago Sparks and Volts, and sees the teams swap around with the Hinds playing from 2PM, and the Stags playing under lights from 5.30PM. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements about these games as we go into bat for a cause close to our hearts!

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Article added: Tuesday January 2024