Wellington Firebirds vs Northern Knights, SS T20 2021, Today Match Prediction 24 January 2022

wf vs nk Match Prediction & Analysis

Wellington Firebirds and Northern Knights will clash in the last league game of the season. The result of the match won’t have any effect on the position of both the teams in the points table. While the Knights are now firmly set at 1st place with 30 points, Wellington is at 3rd place with 20 points. Wellington has already lost to the Northern Knights once this season and will be looking to get a confidence-boosting win before the knock-out stage.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Wellington Firebirds Preview

Wellington has won 5 matches and lost 4 games this season. In their last game, they registered a thumping 8-wicket win against Auckland Aces while chasing a target of 122. Skipper Michael Bracewell, who is the team’s leading run-getter with 334 runs at a strike rate of 145.85, top-scored in the last with an unbeaten 54 off 44 balls. Opener Finn Allen (204 runs at 188.88) will have an important role to play as well. The addition of Devon Conway and Tom Blundell at this stage has helped bolster Wellington’s batting and makes up for Jimmy Neesham’s poor batting form.

The team’s bowling unit is in good form. Hamish Bennett, who is fresh from a spell of 3-15 from 4 overs in the last game, is looking dangerous. Ben Sears, with 11 wickets at an economy of 7.71, and Logan van Beek (9 wickets at 7.84) are their other two main bowlers. Left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra has played just two games but has looked economical and has gone below 6 runs an over.
 

Wellington Firebirds Predicted Playing XI:

Finn Allen (wk), Devon Conway, Michael Bracewell (c), Tom Blundell, James Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Logan van Beek, Peter Younghusband, Ben Sears, Hamish Bennett

Wellington Firebirds Actual Playing XI:

Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, Logan van Beek, Nathan Smith, Devon Conway, Peter Younghusband, Michael Bracewell, Ben Sears, Tom Blundell, Ollie Newton, James Neesham

Northern Knights Preview

Northern Knights couldn’t have asked for better form as they get ready for the finals. They have won 7 matches in a row and look like an unstoppable force. In their last game, they chased down a target of 174 against Canterbury with 5 balls and 8 wickets to spare. Opener Tim Seifert finally found some form and hit a sparkling unbeaten 88 off 62 balls. This has come at the perfect time for the Knights. With Colin de Grandhomme, their leading run-getter at 215 runs at a strike rate of 143.33, looking good down the order, all they need is for opener Katene Clarke (153 runs at 135.39) and captain Jeet Raval (165 runs at 120.43) to get a good knock under their belt. 

The Knights’ bowling got a great boost with the return of seamers Trent Boult and Tim Southee to the ranks. The two experienced bowlers are expected to play a huge role in the finals. Scott Kuggeleijn (10 wickets at an economy of 8.90) will now be a crucial asset in the middle overs. And the spin duo of Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi is the team’s biggest weapon. This bowling lineup is easily the best in the tournament and will pose a challenge to any batting unit.

Northern Knights Predicted Playing XI:

Katene Clarke, Tim Seifert (wk), Jeet Raval (c), Mitchell Santner, Colin de Grandhomme, Henry Cooper, Scott Kuggeleijn, Ish Sodhi, Joe Walker, Trent Boult, Tim Southee

Northern Knights Actual Playing XI:

Ish Sodhi, Anurag Verma, Katene Clarke, Tim Seifert, Joe Walker, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Jeet Raval, Henry Cooper, Colin de Grandhomme, TG Southee

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch at Basin Reserve is usually pretty good for batting with some assistance for seamers and slower bowlers. There should be runs for the taking for the batters but spinners like Sodhi and Santner will find purchase from the wicket too.

The weather at Wellington is expected to be sunny and pleasant on the day of the game.
 

Venue Details

The average score batting first at Basin Reserve is 160. The highest score on the venue this season, however, is 190-4 by Central Stags. Totals between 170 and 189 have been achieved 7 times here. Expect the team batting first to set a target of around 180 runs.

Toss: To Bowl

The team winning the toss is likely to bat first in this game.