Maddy Green’s Auckland Hearts look to be saving their best for last after clinching the last spot in tomorrow’s Super Smash Women’s Grand Final.
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The Hearts defeated Northern Brave — who had qualified above them for todays’ 2v3 knockout — by eight wickets.
Brave’s hopes of making their first ever women’s Grand Final were first quelled by a strong all-round Hearts bowling performance, captain Green taking 4/21 herself, after having been asked to field first.
The Hearts then paced themselved through a comfortable 139 chase for victory, their strong top order chasing it down with two balls to spare to meet defending champion Wellington Blaze in tomorrow’s Grand Final, also at Hagley Oval, from 2.10pm.
The finality of sudden death cricket can tease the nerves on match day, and so it seemed for Northern Brave as their chance of making their first Super Smash Grand Final fell apart.
Northern Brave was the top qualifier for the 2026 Elimination Final knockout against the Auckland Hearts, and captain Jess Watkin had no hesitation in asking the Hearts to bowl first on a belter, with a fast outfield and a fine, sunny Christchurch afternoon mercifully shining down overhead.
The Hearts had scraped into third on the table to qualify, having needed a bonus point to get there and then brilliantly trouncing the Central Hinds in the last round of the season.
They were now looking to mark Lauren Down’s 100th Super Smash game in winning style.
The Hearts had a 17-6 win record against Northern in Domestic T20s, but this had been arguably Northern’s best summer yet. It should have been a pretty even contest — but this was Finals cricket.
Brave came in as the only team never to have qualified for a Super Smash Grand Final, and had made the Elimination Final for the first time in Hamilton only two years ago — losing that match to the Hinds, after a Claudia Green hat-trick.
Bree Illing’s deadly swing was quickly in play now at Hagley, bowling Tash Wakelin for a golden at the end of the first over.
Watkin punched two early sixes, but the Hearts’ sharp outfielding kept the pressure steady before Molly Penfold, continuing her strong form, removed Eve Wolland at the end of the fourth over.
The swift loss of Caitlin Gurrey put Northern in a real spot, early.
Keeper Izzy Gaze pounced behind the stumps with a well executed catch after Gurrey chased a wide one from a delighted Aimee Hucker (3/28).
Calm captain Watkin had meanwhile raced to 30*, Northern 42/3 at the end of the power play, with Nensi Patel - fresh off her first T20 half century, at the same ground - needing to fire up again.
Unfortunately for Watkin, she was next to depart, caught off Josie Penfold for 31 off 22, at 50/4.
Advantage Hearts, as Marina Lamplough and Patel looked to rebuild with the run rate ticking along at just over run-a-ball.
Hearts captain Maddy Green’s decision to bowl herself really put the knife in, as she brought herself on for the 11th over.
Lamplough and Sky Bowden were both gone in the space of three balls: 71/6, and the Hearts holding the cards before the three-quarter mark of the innings.
Green might have had a fourth in Patel had she not been no-balled for height, but had Kayley Knight caught in the deep off the same over anyway, finishing with 4/21.
The Brave lost their last with a ball remaining, all out for 138.
Impressive this season again, top wicket-taker Marama Downes have her side a big boost by finding dangerous Izzy Gaze’s top edge at 16/1 in the third over.
Now they faced the problem of breaking the second stand, between Prue Catton and vastly experienced Green.
Unfortunately for the Brave, the boundaries began to flow regularly as the pair took control with a brisk 69-run partnership for the second.
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They’d hit 81/1 by the halfway mark, well more than half the job done with a relatively straightforward run-a-ball chase ahead, but Nensi Patel got a much needed breakthrough with Green caught on 28 (23 balls) at 85/2.
But the Hearts kept finding the rope just often enough to keep themselves comfortable, WHITE FERN Brooke Halliday supporting Catton to carry on and top-score with an unbeaten 56* off 57 balls.
Form batter Halliday also finished unbeaten on 33*, at run-a-ball pace, after the pair had needed just four off the final over.
All Finals matches this Friday and Saturday at Hagley Oval are live and free to air on TVNZ+ and Duke on NZ screens, with livescores at nzc.nz and on the NZC app.
Sport Nation will also broadcast audio commentary of the Finals.
