Betting Tips

As the competition for a place in the playoffs gets intense, we are approaching close to the business end of the league stage. We have Wellington Firebirds taking on Canterbury Kings in the 22nd contest of the Super Smash for the 2025 season. This day/night game will be played at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on January 22nd, 2025. This post will peek at the match prediction, pitch report, and betting tips for this contest.

Wellington Firebirds vs Canterbury Kings Head-to-Head Record

The Wellington Firebirds have played against the Canterbury Kings on 36 occasions where a clear mandate could be obtained. Although it is a close test, Canterbury leads this head-to-head 19-17. They also lead the figures 3-2 in their last five games.

Canterbury has also won their previous two games against each other. This is the first time these two outfits are playing against each other in this year's Super Smash.

Wellington Firebirds vs Canterbury Kings Live-streaming and Broadcast

Indian cricket enthusiasts will not be able to watch this encounter between Wellington and Canterbury on TV. However, they can enjoy the contest live on the FanCode website and app.

WF vs CK Team Previews

Wellington Firebirds

Wellington Firebirds have played six games in the competition so far. They have won two, lost four, and have eight points to their credit. They have a net run rate of -0.409 and are placed right at the bottom of the points table due to the poor net run rate.

Wellington is going into this game with three losses to their credit in their last four games. They also lost their previous match against Auckland by a margin of 53 runs.

Auckland raised a massive score of 215 runs in this encounter. While the Wellington batters made a valiant attempt to chase this score, they fell short by 53 runs to be bowled out for 162 runs in 17.2 overs.

Tim Robinson has been the top batter for Wellington recently, scoring 230 runs in his last five games with an average of 57.5 and a strike rate of 143.75. Nick Kelly scored 227 runs in his last ten matches with an average of 22.7 and a strike rate of 127.52.

Logan van Beek will lead the Wellington bowling attack. He has picked up 13 wickets from his last ten games with a strike rate of 17.07. Ben Sears has also picked up nine wickets in his previous six games with a strike rate of 15.33.

Wellington Firebirds Expected Playing 11

Canterbury Kings

The Canterbury team has done a marginally better job in this year's Super Smash. They have also played the same six games and have the same eight points. They are only ranked higher than Wellington because of their better net run rate. They have an NRR of +0.116.

What will be in their favor is that they have won two out of their last three games, and as a result, they are showing possibilities of a revival. They won their previous encounter against Northern Districts by a margin of 23 runs.

Chad Bowes has scored 342 runs from his last ten games with an average of 34.2 and an excellent strike rate of 159.81. Tom Latham has also batted well recently for Canterbury, scoring 290 runs in his last eight games with an average of 41.43 and a strike rate of 131.81.

Zakary Foukes has led the Canterbury bowling challenge in Super Smash. He has picked up 11 wickets from his last seven games with a strike rate of 15.09. Will O'Rourke has also picked up nine victims from his last six appearances for Canterbury with a strike rate of 15.33.

Canterbury Kings Expected Playing 11

WF vs CK Toss Prediction

The venue of Basin Reserve in Wellington has seen 43 games played on it. The teams batting first have won 22 games, while the teams chasing a target have won 20. These figures suggest no clear indication of a better alternative to bat or bowl first on the track. It might be better to bat first after winning the coin flip for the captain.

Pitch and Conditions

The Basin Reserve ground, known commonly as Cello Basin Reserve, is a historical venue still used for test matches. Although the wicket affords pace and bounce to the seamers, it is a batting-friendly track. But if you get cloud cover, the fast bowlers can exploit the conditions well. We are expecting clear weather for this contest. The temperature during the game will be close to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

There is no possibility of getting showers.

WF vs CK Betting Tips

The two teams are quite closely matched, as can be seen from their positions on the Super Smash league table. However, we think there is more upside in backing the Canterbury Kings. Their batting lineup is hitting its stride and the bowling unit also has more depth.

Bet on the Canterbury Kings to win.