Otago Volts vs Wellington Firebirds, SST20 2025-26, Today Match Prediction

OV vs WELL Match Prediction & Analysis

With Super Smash entering the final stage of group games, fourth-placed Otago Volts will host the bottom-placed Wellington Firebirds at University Oval, Dunedin, on 15th January, from 8:30 pm onwards. Unfortunately, Otago has lost its only game played at this venue in this season.

Otago Volts have two wins and a tie in 6 games. In their last game, they scored 159 runs with the help of Llew Johnson’s 63 off 44 in the middle. In return, the bowlers couldn’t manage to restrict the runs. Despite Troy Johnson’s two wickets, Otago lost the game by 5 wickets.

Wellington Firebirds will enter the game with three consecutive losses. Last two games, they have lost by 6 wickets each. In their last game against Northern District, the Firebirds scored 185 runs with Tim Robinson (65) and Tom Blundell (71) scoring half-centuries. Ben Sears' 3 wickets went in vain as Firebirds lost the game by 6 wickets.

Both teams locked horns against each other in this season at Basin Reserve, Wellington, on 9th January. Otago restricted Wellington to 150 for the loss of 7 wickets. Jake Gibson picked up two wickets. The chase tilted in favor of Otago as Jack Boyle scored 71 off 47 balls in the middle. Otago registered a victory by 6 wickets.

RECENT PERFORMANCE

OV

L W L W L

OV

159/10 in 20.0 7.95

SST20 2025-26

Auckland Aces beat Otago Volts by 5 wickets 12 Jan 2026

AUCK

161/5 in 18.4 8.62

WELL

150/7 in 20.0 7.5

SST20 2025-26

Otago Volts won by 6 wickets 09 Jan 2026

OV

152/4 in 19.1 7.93

AUCK

200/6 in 20.0 10

SST20 2025-26

Auckland Aces beat Otago Volts by 88 runs 06 Jan 2026

OV

112/10 in 15.1 7.38

OV

193/7 in 20.0 9.65

SST20 2025-26

Volts win by 41 runs 30 Dec 2025

CD

152/8 in 20.0 7.6

OV

160/10 in 20.0 8

SST20 2025-26

Canterbury beat Otago Volts by 28 runs 28 Dec 2025

CANT

188/5 in 20.0 9.4

WELL

L L L W L

WELL

185/7 in 20.0 9.25

SST20 2025-26

Northern Knights won by 6 wkts 11 Jan 2026

ND

189/4 in 16.2 11.57

WELL

150/7 in 20.0 7.5

SST20 2025-26

Otago Volts won by 6 wickets 09 Jan 2026

OV

152/4 in 19.1 7.93

WELL

195/7 in 20.0 9.75

SST20 2025-26

Central Stags beat Wellington Firebirds by 2 runs 07 Jan 2026

CD

197/3 in 20.0 9.85

ND

181/10 in 19.5 9.13

SST20 2025-26

Wellington Firebirds beat Northern Brave by 13 runs 31 Dec 2025

WELL

194/3 in 20.0 9.7

WELL

187/7 in 20.0 9.35

SST20 2025-26

Auckland Aces beat Wellington Firebirds by 5 wickets 29 Dec 2025

AUCK

189/5 in 19.2 9.78

HEAD TO HEAD

TEAMS PREVIEW

Otago Volts Preview

Jacob Cumming and Jamal Todd will open the innings. With 157 runs in 6 innings, Todd has the highest strike rate of 182.55 & the highest number of sixes (13). Cummings has scored just 33 runs in 3 games. 

Jack Boyle will come in at number three. Boyle is their leading run-scorer with 175 runs at a strike rate of 140. He will be the batter to watch out for. Boyle scored 71 runs against Wellington in Otago’s earlier game.

Skipper Max Chu will come in the middle with Llew Johnson & Troy Johnson. Chu has 168 runs at a strike rate of 142.37 this season. Llew Johnson scored 63 off 44 balls in the last game. Troy has failed to perform with the bat (32 runs in 4 games) and has 2 wickets with the ball.

Ben Lockrose will lead the bowling attack with Jacob Duffy and Matthew Bacon. Lockrose is their leading wicket-taker with 8 wickets with an economy of 7.63. He will be the bowler to watch out for. Duffy comes with an international experience of 38 games in which he has picked up 53 wickets. Bacon has 7 wickets in 6 games with an economy of 8.58.

Key Players: Jack Boyle, Max Chu, Ben Lockrose.

Otago Volts Predicted Playing XI:

Jacob Cumming, Jamal Todd, Max Chu(w/c), Jack Boyle, Llew Johnson, Troy Johnson, Jake Gibson, Ben Lockrose, Danru Ferns, Jacob Duffy, Matthew Bacon.

Otago Volts Actual Playing XI:

Ben Lockrose, Jacob Cumming, Jacob Duffy, Jake Gibson, Jamal Todd, Llew Johnson, Matthew Bacon, Max Chu, Zac Cumming, Jack Boyle, Troy Johnson

Wellington Firebirds Preview

Tim Robinson will open the innings after scoring 65 off 47 in the last game. Robinson is striking at 143.82 this season. Tom Blundell will come in at number three. Blundell scored a partnership of 132 runs in the last game with Robinson. Blundell is their leading run-scorer with 231 runs, with the highest strike rate (167.39) among the batters. He will be the batter to watch out for. 

Rachin Ravindra will come in the middle with Muhammad Abbas and Jesse Tashkoff. Ravindra has 46 runs with the bat and two wickets with the ball in three games. Abbas averages 20 while scoring 126 runs in 6 games. Tashkoff has 156 runs in 6 innings at a strike rate of 157.57. He can add quick runs with Logan van Beek (88 runs in 5 innings) who has the same strike rate.

Ben Sears will lead the bowling attack with Yahya Zeb and van Beek. Sears took three wickets in the last game to take his tally to 8. He will be the bowler to watch out for. Zeb has 6 wickets while van Beek has 5 in 6 innings. All Firebirds’ bowlers have leaked runs at an economy rate over 10, excluding Ravindra.

Key Players: Tom Blundell, Jesse Tashkoff, Ben Sears.

Wellington Firebirds Predicted Playing XI:

Tim Robinson, Tom Blundell(c), Rachin Ravindra, Muhammad Abbas, Jesse Tashkoff, Callum McLachlan(w), Logan van Beek, Peter Younghusband, Ben Sears, Michael Snedden, Yahya Zeb.

Wellington Firebirds Actual Playing XI:

Logan van Beek, Jesse Tashkoff, Muhammad Arslan Abbas, Tom Blundell, Ben Sears, James Hartshorn, Gareth Severin, Callum McLachlan, Tim Robinson, Peter Younghusband, Oscar Jackson

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The weather in Dunedin is expected to be cloudy on match day, with temperatures ranging from 12 to 14 degrees Celsius. Winds will blow from the southeast at 6-10 km/h. It is a balanced pitch. 

The power hitters enjoy the pitch conditions. The top three batters on this pitch have smashed 41 sixes in 7 games.  Otago’s Jacob Duffy has picked four wickets on the last outing on this pitch.

OV vs WELL Pitch Report

The match will be played at University Oval, Dunedin, on 15th January, from 8:30 pm onwards. The stadium has hosted 9 T20I games, with the 200 figure having been crossed just three times.

Toss: To Bat

In the 9 T20I games played here, teams defending the target have won the games on 5 occasions. The team winning the toss should bat first. Otago has lost the only game played at this venue by 5 wickets.