Northern Knights vs Wellington Firebirds, SS T20 2021, Today Match Prediction 16 January 2022

nk vs wf Match Prediction & Analysis

Northern Knights and Wellington Firebirds will be clashing for the first time this season and it will be interesting to see which team dominates. The Knights have now jumped to the pole position in the points table with 5 wins and 1 loss in 7 games at a net run rate of +0.725. Wellington is at 3rd place with 4 wins and 3 losses in 7 games at a net run rate of -0.022. Both the teams have good momentum with them but Wellington’s batting looks dangerous and might make the difference in this game.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Northern Knights Preview

The Northern Knights are in sensational form and look unstoppable at the moment. They have registered 5 back-to-back wins and are sitting pretty at the top of the table. In their last match, they posted 176-7 after being asked to bat first and won the contest by 19 runs. All-rounder Colin de Grandhomme finally got some form with a terrific knock of 86 off 45 balls. His performance would please the team as Grandhomme can take the game away down the order. 

While Tim Seifert continues to struggle with form, Joe Carter (174 runs at a strike rate of 107) has been pretty consistent. Captain Jeet Raval too hasn’t got going yet and this is why the Knights’ batting looks a little dicey.

Thankfully, their bowling has been excellent with the likes of Scott Kuggeleijn (8 wickets at an economy of 9.51), Anurag Verma (11 wickets at 7.08), and Joe Walker (8 wickets at 6.86) constantly putting the pressure on the opposition. Ish Sodhi is good as always and his partnership with left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner who impressed with a spell of 2-29 from 4 overs in the last match bodes will be something worth looking forward to.

Northern Knights Predicted Playing XI:

Jeet Raval (c), Tim Seifert (wk), Joe Carter, Mitchell Santner, Colin de Grandhomme, Henry Cooper, Scott Kuggeleijn, Anurag Verma, Ish Sodhi, Joe Walker, Matthew Fisher

Northern Knights Actual Playing XI:

Ish Sodhi, Anurag Verma, Tim Seifert, Scott Kuggeleijn, Joe Walker, Mitchell Santner, Joe Carter, Jeet Raval, Henry Cooper, Colin de Grandhomme, Matthew Fisher

Wellington Firebirds Preview

After losing 3 matches in a row, Wellington Firebirds have turned things around and registered 3 consecutive wins to reach 3rd place in the table. In their last match, they showed why their batting can be so dangerous. They chased down a massive target of 228 against Central Stags courtesy of a sensational unbeaten 141 off 65 balls from captain Michael Bracewell. Logan van Beek’s cameo of 37 off 18 balls also made a difference. Wellington also has Finn Allen (181 runs at a strike rate of 201), Tim Robinson (131 runs at 116), and Troy Johnson (122 runs at 107) to rely on. The poor form of James Neesham is a concern though.

Wellington’s bowling has relied upon Ben Sears (9 wickets at an economy of 8.76) along with Logan van Beek (7 wickets at 8.15) and Hamish Bennett (6 wickets at 8.92). Leg-spinner Peter Younghusband (5 wickets at 6.55) has done a fine job too.

Wellington Firebirds Predicted Playing XI:

Finn Allen (wk), Tim Robinson, Michael Bracewell (c), Troy Johnson, James Neesham, Nathan Smith, Jamie Gibson, Logan van Beek, Peter Younghusband, Ben Sears, Hamish

Wellington Firebirds Actual Playing XI:

Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, Logan van Beek, Nathan Smith, Hamish Bennett, Peter Younghusband, Michael Bracewell, Ben Sears, James Neesham, Tim Robinson, Troy Johnson

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

Not many matches have been played at the Cobham Oval but it’s proven to be a good batting surface. Batters will have a good time here but slower bowlers too should get some purchase from the wicket.

A couple of showers are expected in Whangarei on the day of the match and the game might be affected a little.  
 

Venue Details

Only one T20 game has been played at the Cobham Oval so far where the team batting first won the encounter after putting on 172-8 on the board. Since this is a fresh pitch and the first match of the season here, there should be more runs on offer from the wicket. Expect the team batting first to set a target of around 180-190 runs.

Toss: To Bowl

The team winning the toss is likely to bat first here.