Central Districts split their Super Smash game day vs Northern Districts in Nelson with a win in the men's game and a loss in the women's game. Both winning teams had destructive hitting from the two captains, who also lead the Super Smash in batting strike-rate, as Jess Watkin whacked 51* @ 159sr for Northern Brave and Tom Bruce hit 64* @ 206sr for CD Stags.

Tom Bruce's summer...

Plunket Shield: 79 runs @ 15.8avg/52sr

Ford Trophy: 137 runs @ 34.2avg/130.4sr

Super Smash: 132 runs @ 132avg/209.5sr

Ahead of the Canterbury vs Otago games today, Watkin is the only wahine with over 150sr (166.66) and Bruce is the only bloke over 200sr (209.5sr). Here's Watkin's summer so far...

HBJ Shield: 137 runs @ 27avg/84sr | 6w @ 39avg/4.5rpo

Super Smash: 90 runs @ 45avg/166sr | 2w @ 30avg/7.9rpo

The Brave ladies are 1-1 and they have five batters with strike-rates over 100 in Watkin, Carol Agafili (142.8), Chamari Athapaththu (142sr), Marama Downes (128.5sr) and Caitlin Gurrey (104.3sr). Athapaththu also leads Brave for wickets with 5w @ 9.6avg/6rpo and then there are three bowlers on 2 wickets each in Amanda-Jade Wellington joining Watkin and Downes.

Nensi Patel isn't in her best groove...

2023/24 HBJ Shield: 144 runs @ 16avg/77sr | 10w @ 31avg/3.6rpo

2023/24 Super Smash: 118 runs @ 16.8avg/94sr | 5w @ 42avg/6rpo

2024/25 HBJ Shield: 107 runs @ 21avg/78sr | 6w @ 34avg/3.9rpo

2024/25 Super Smash: 3 runs @ 1avg/60sr | 5ov @ 10rpo

CD Hinds are 0-3 and Hollie Armitage is their only batter averaging over 15. Rosemary Mair is the second best Hinds batter behind Armitage (41 runs @ 13.6avg/100sr) and CD has a bunch of batters who have batted three times with averages below 10; Mikaela Greig, Flora Devonshire, Claudia Green, Kate Gaging, Thamsyn Newton.

Greig is the funkiest pocket for Hinds as she earned a White Ferns call up after strong mahi last summer. This season Greig has scored 34 runs @ 5.6avg/45sr in HBJ Shield and 22 runs @ 7.3avg/137sr in Super Smash, with no scores over 20 so far this summer.

The Hinds seam bowling trio is their strength but it's young leggy Ocean Bartlett who has been their best Super Smash bowling...

Ocean Bartlett: 5w @ 14.2avg/6.6rpo

Rosemary Mair: 4w @ 17.2avg/5.7rpo

Hannah Rowe: 4w @ 17.2avg/6.9rpo

Claudia Green: 2w @ 28avg/5.6rpo

Flora Devonshire: 1w @ 52avg/5.2rpo

CD Stags are the only team with two wins in the men's competition and they almost have their whole team chipping in around skipper Bruce. Stags have eight batters who have scored 30+ runs with averages over 20 and they have six bowlers who have taken 2+ wickets, five of whom are averaging 30 or below.

Bruce, Dane Cleaver, Blair Tickner, Josh Clarkson and Jayden Lennox are excellent Super Smash cricketers. If CD go deep into the finals, these lads will lead their mahi and there will be plenty of space to celebrate their mahi. This early phase of the campaign features a few different blokes who have elevated to join their leaders...

Jack Boyle: 85 runs @ 28avg/129sr | 1w @ 18avg/9rpo

Will Clark: 46 runs @ 23avg/143.7sr | 3w @ 17.3avg/8.6rpo

Angus Schaw: 32 runs @ 32avg/213sr | 5w @ 11.6avg/5.8rpo

All three have a First-Class century, all three have batting strike-rates that align with their Super Smash roles and all three already have a wicket. Boyle is second for CD runs behind Bruce and Schaw leads the Stags for wickets, while Clark is offering efficient all-round mahi.

Curtis Heaphy is a funky lad to watch out for as well, having stayed in the 1st 11 with the return of Cleaver. Heaphy can play strokes to increase his scoring rate but his 62 runs @ 20avg/94sr in the Super Smash is aligned with his T20 career strike-rate of 100, his List-A strike-rate of 64 and his FC strike-rate of 38.

Heaphy takes his time in all three formats, but he is a 21-year-old who is already averaging 37.4 in FC batting and 50.2 in LA. CD Stags can roll with Heaphy's steady run-scoring because they have six other batters over 130sr, as well as Boyle's 129sr.

Northern Brave men are 1-1. Ben Pomare was promoted up the order vs CD to bat three where he scored 25 runs @ 192sr, lefty spinner Rohit Gulati made his debut and took 3w @ 5rpo and Matt Fisher didn't take a wicket...

Matt Fisher this summer and then his career stuff...

Plunket Shield: 14w @ 17.7avg/3.3rpo

Super Smash: 7ov @ 8.1rpo

FC: 24.11avg/3.7rpo

LA: 24.2avg/5.1rpo

T20: 40avg/9.5rpo

Pomare has only batted once in Super Smash and didn't score a run in his lone Ford Trophy appearance. The 24-year-old as been ND's leading wicket-keeper in Plunket Shield and has quietly averaged 35.2 in his first six games, with 149 runs @ 49.6avg/48sr this summer.

Not much info for Gulati aside from him playing for Weymouth in Counties Manukau to earn a spot in the wider ND mix. Gulati appears to split time between Auckland and India, also appreciating the Aotearoa vibe so there could be a chance for him to progress given the nifty skills he showed on debut. Gulati offered tricky spin bowling with variety in his flight, pace and spin, plus there is footage of him smashing boundaries.

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