Super Smash 2023-24 Points Table: Updated standings after Auckland Aces vs Wellington Firebirds, Match 13
Auckland Aces beat Wellington Firebirds by 53 runs in the 13th match of the Super Smash 2023-24 on Thursday. A convincing win for the Aces meant they leapfrogged Canterbury Kings to take the second spot on the table with 12 points in their kitty.
Canterbury Kings slipped to third spot with 2 wins in 4 games and overall 10 points in the bag. Despite the loss, the Wellington Firebirds remain at the top of the table. They have 3 wins from 5 matches.
The bottom three teams on the table, namely Central Stags, Otago Volts, and Northern Brave have a solitary win each to their name. Northern Brave are rooted at the bottom, while Central Stags and Otago Volts hold fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
Martin Guptil headlines Auckland’s win with a sensational 85 off 52
Riding on Martin Guptill’s sensational 85-run knock off 52 balls, Auckland Aces put up a mammoth 192-run total in the first innings. Guptill played as a second fiddle to Finn Allen at the start as the latter wreaked havoc with the bat in the powerplay.
Allen struck 50 in just 24 balls and provided a perfect platform for the Aces to register a big score. Guptill, on the other hand, played the anchor role and stayed till the end of the innings. He brought up his half-century in 40 balls but changed gears after that.
Despite wickets falling at the other end, Guptill exhibited sixes and took the team to a winning score. He stayed unbeaten till the end, scoring 85 off just 52 balls.
Wellington, in reply, got off to the worst possible start, having lost four wickets for 71 runs in the first 10 overs. They needed someone to play a big innings but Auckland Aces kept chipping in with wickets and denied the opposition to find any momentum through the innings. Eventually, the Wellington Firebirds were bowled out for just 139 runs.
Ben Lister was the star with the ball, claiming 4 wickets for 26 runs. He found valuable support from Delport and Ferns, both of whom snared 3 wickets each.