The Wellington Firebirds will be able to call upon the services of recent Test centurion Tom Blundell for their Dream11 Super Smash match against the Auckland Aces at the Basin Reserve tomorrow.

The wicketkeeper batsman re-joins the Firebirds camp having returned from the BLACKCAPS’ Test series against Australia where he became the first New Zealand batsman to score a Test century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Blundell’s inclusion is the only change to the Firebirds squad that lost to Canterbury at the Basin Reserve on Thursday - he replaces Lauchie Johns.

Jimmy Neesham is still absent as he recovers from a quadricep injury.

Tomorrow’s match is a potential must-win for the Firebirds to lock in a home final at the Basin Reserve.

Their fate is influenced somewhat by today’s match between the Volts and the Stags at University of Otago Oval in Dunedin.

A win for the Stags would confirm a home final for the Firebirds, however a Volts victory would keep the Southerners in the hunt for the top spot and mean the Firebirds would need to win against the Aces on Sunday to confirm a home final.

The Wellington Blaze, meanwhile, are out to complete a perfect ten of Super Smash round-robin fixtures when they face the Auckland Hearts.

The competition leaders have already locked in their home final and will be boosted by the return of captain Sophie Devine who missed Thursday’s win over the Magicians due to commitments playing for Western Australia in the Australian Women’s National Cricket League.

Play gets underway from 12.40pm at the Basin Reserve – entry is free for all Wellington junior club cricketers as part of Cricket Wellington’s Club Day.

Wellington Blaze squad | v Auckland Hearts

Sophie Devine (c)

Rebecca Burns

Deanna Doughty

Maddy Green (c)

Liz Green-Perry

Xara Jetly

Leigh Kasperek

Amelia Kerr

Jess Kerr

Caitlin King

Jess McFadyen

Thamsyn Newton

Rachel Priest

Maneka Singh

Wellington Firebirds squad | v Auckland Aces

Michael Bracewell (c)

Hamish Bennett

Tom Blundell

Fraser Colson

Devon Conway

Jamie Gibson

Iain McPeake

Ollie Newton

Michael Pollard

Rachin Ravindra

Logan Van Beek

Peter Younghusband

Dream11 Super Smash Double-header

Wellington Blaze v Auckland Hearts | 12.40pm

Wellington Firebirds v Auckland Aces | 4.10pm

Sunday 12 January, 2020

Basin Reserve, Wellington

Article added: Saturday 11 January 2020