Super Smash 2023 Points Table: Updated standings after Auckland Aces vs Canterbury Kings, Match 1
The opening game of the Super Smash 2023 saw the Auckland Aces lock horns with the Canterbury Kings. The Eden Park Outer Oval in Auckland hosted the encounter where the Aces recorded a comfortable victory.
With this win, the Auckland Aces have got off to a perfect start to the Super Smash 2023. They got off the mark and grabbed four points after the conclusion of matchday one. The Aces, as a result, sit at the top of the table with a net run rate of +1.4.
The Canterbury Kings, on the other hand, get off to a losing start to the competition and have slipped to the bottom of the points table, with a net run rate of -1.4. The Central Stags, Northern Brave Men, Otago Volts, and Wellington Firebirds are yet to play a match and are placed in the middle of the points table.
Auckland Aces get off to a winning start to the Super Smash 2023
The Auckland Aces were asked to bat first in the opening game of the Super Smash 2023. Finn Allen scored 26 (17 balls) at the top of the order while his partner Martin Guptill played a fantastic knock of 47 runs from 29 balls. Skipper Robert O'Donnell held the innings nicely in the middle phase.
O'Donnell scored a fifty to lay a platform for a solid finish. He remained unbeaten on 54 (38 balls) and a cameo from Cam Fletcher (24 runs from 15 balls) helped the Aces post 185 on the board. The Kings picked up five wickets in total, with Michael Rippon, who was also their most economical bowler on the day (economy of 6.75), picking up two.
In reply, the Canterbury Kings kept losing wickets at regular intervals and as a result, failed to build partnerships. Wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay (43 off 25) and Bevon Jacobs (42 off 20) tried hard for the Kings but lacked support from the other end.
The Aces made sure that they didn’t allow the lower-order batters to contribute as they knocked over the Kings on 157 in 17.5 overs to win the game by 28 runs. Danru Ferns and James Neesham grabbed three scalps each to help the Aces defend the total successfully.
The Aces displayed a solid all-around effort on the opening day of the Super Smash 2023 and got off to a winning start. The Canterbury Kings will face the Otago Volts in their next clash on Boxing Day and will be hoping to bounce back and get off the mark in the tournament.