Super Smash 2025-26 - All-round Brett Hampton leads Northern Districts to Super Smash title

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Canterbury reached their sixth successive Super Smash final, after knocking Auckland out in the Eliminator on January 30, but ended up being outplayed by Northern Districts (ND) in the title clash on Saturday. They are searching for their first T20 title since 2005-06, the inaugural season, when their current coach Peter Fulton was still an active player for the team.

Allrounder Brett Hampton led the way for ND, following his spell of 4-0-37-3, in which he ran in hard and hit the Hagley Oval deck harder, with a 23-ball fifty, his fourth in this season. He smashed 73 together with his opening partner Katene Clarke in the powerplay, taking the pressure off ND in a chase of 172 in Christchurch. Though fast bowler Michael Rae dismissed both openers in the ninth over, ND coasted to their target with five wickets and 13 balls to spare.

Katene, the younger brother of former ND and New Zealand Under-19 player Tamati Clarke, came away with the Player-of-the-Tournament award for his chart-topping 431 runs in nine innings at an average of 61.57 and strike rate of 171.71. His sequence of four successive fifty-plus scores – he fell one short of the New Zealand T20 record held by Bevon Jacobs and Devon Conway – was central to ND’s direct entry to the final.

In the final, it was Hampton who dominated proceedings, bashing five sixes, including one which landed on the roof. In contrast, the entire Canterbury batting line-up could muster just four sixes. One of those sixes, a powerful swipe off Canterbury captain Cole McConchie in the eighth over took him to his half-century. After Rae’s double-strike, ND slowed down briefly before Joe Carter (47 off 28 balls) and Scott Kuggeleijn (23 off 13 balls) put the pedal to the floor and sealed ND’s fifth men’s T20 title.

After opting to bowl, Kuggeleijn had combined well with Hampton to restrict Canterbury to 46 for 2 in the powerplay on a Hagley Oval pitch that seemingly played better than it did in the Eliminator on Friday. After having Henry Nicholls nicking behind with an awayswinger for 16 off 15 balls in the fifth over, Hampton proceeded to have Matt Boyle and Tom Latham hole out in his next two overs.

Tim Pringle, the left-arm fingerspinner, kept things tight in the middle overs, coming away with 4-0-20-1. Canterbury then staged a recovery through Mitch Hay and Leo Carter, who forged a record, unbroken 114-run partnership for the sixth wicket off only 69 balls. Hay and Carter bettered Andrew Ellis and Brendon Diamanti’s 2012-13 record by two runs.

They came together when Canterbury were 57 for 5 in the ninth over and ended up dragging them past 170. Carter and Hay were severe on allrounder Kristian Clarke, fresh off international success in India, taking him for three fours and a brace of sixes in the final over, which cost ND 26 runs.

Hampton and Katene then upstaged Hay and Carter with an even more explosive stand. “Those guys, the Bash Bros, Hammer and Katene have just been outstanding,” ND captain Robert O’Donnell said after lifting the trophy. “It was a bit by chance [injury] that we got the opportunity to do it [have Hampton open] and look, it’s just unlocked a bit of magic in both of them.

“We all know how hard Hammer can hit the ball and how far he can hit the ball but him batting with Katene and how he’s batted this tournament, yeah, it’s just been outstanding. So for them to do it and do it as often as they have has been incredible and it’s meant that other guys in the team can stand up at different times and chip in where we can and yeah, look, it’s been an all-round effort.”

Women’s Super Smash: Jess Kerr carries Wellington to another title

No Amelia Kerr. No problem for Wellington Blaze as the other Kerr – Jess – took charge of the side mid-season and led them to their seventh Super Smash title in the last nine seasons and tenth overall.

After Amelia exited the Super Smash early for the WPL, her sister Jess took over captaincy and in the final, she stepped up in all departments.

After Auckland Hearts opted to bat on Saturday, Jess didn’t start too well, conceding two fours in her first over, but bounced back, especially in the end overs, to end with figures of 4-0-28-1. She then played a bigger role with the bat. When Wellington needed 16 off the final over, she cracked two sixes and a four to ice a thrilling chase.

Offspinner Xara Jetly was the pick of the bowlers for Wellington, returning 2 for 27 in her four overs, helping them keep Auckland to 146 for 5.

In response, Wellington ran away to 48 for 0 in the powerplay. Georgia Plimmer’s dismissal, however, induced a mini-collapse, as Wellington lost 4 for 31, but Jess crashed an unbeaten 46 off 26 balls to settle their nerves and eventually secure another title. Jess took 22 off Halliday alone in six balls and finished the job.

“I just think funny things can happen in a last over and you just have to believe,” Jess said after the final. “If you don’t believe, then you should just stop there. So, I just knew, I’ve faced a few balls and if it’s there in my slot, you’ve just got to go for it and in a way, it’s easy. The situation’s sort of set for you. You just have to, every ball’s a free-hit so yeah, that’s what I tried to do.

“Yeah, I couldn’t be prouder to be from Wellington. They’ve given so much for me in my years of playing cricket, so to be able to have this win for Cricket Wellington is really special and I think our youth is doing really well too in all these tournaments too. I think we’re in a really great place at the moment and the depth and growth is just getting better and better and we’ve got some great people staff-wise around us that are guiding us nicely.”

Deivarayan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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