New Zealand T20 League

16th Match: CAK vs NOR

Preview

CAK and NOR will lock horns for the 16th match of the ongoing New Zealand T20 League. The match is scheduled at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch and will be played at 11:00 AM on Friday, January 13, 2023. 

The Canterbury side is being led by Cole McConchie in this tournament. CAK managed to win their second match of this season in the last faceoff. In the match, they defeated Auckland by 14 runs. They are now sitting in fifth place in the points table winning just 2 out of their 5 matches. They are in a must-win situation in order to move up the chart and increase their chances of qualifying for the next stage.  Their first game was against NOR in which they managed a win comfortably. McConchie’s side would draw some confidence from that game and replicate the same performance in this match to win.  

Chad Bowes and Ken McClure will have to make a strong partnership and score as many runs as possible being in the top order. Their middle order has been inconsistent. Hence better performances are expected from skipper ole McConchie, Mitchell Hay, Leo Carter, and Cam Fletcher. The bowling side will once again depend on the services of Ed Nuttall and William O'Rourke to provide early breakthroughs with the new ball. 

CAK have the likes of some good batters in the middle and lower order. Also, Todd Astle will lead the bowling attack along with McConchie, Foulkes, and McKenzie who will ensure a less flow of runs. Canterbury was indeed lucky to win the encounter against NOR last time, as it was a rain-curtailed match. They managed a win just because of the D/L method with a reduced total. CAK’s Ken McClure performed well in that game and smashed 32 runs off just 14 balls with 3 sixes and 3 fours to snatch the win with many balls to spare. 

On the other side, NOR is led by Jeet Raval. They shared points in their last game against Otago as the match was abandoned due to rain. NOR has also managed to win a couple of matches so far. The team not only lost their first match of this season against Canterbury but also lost to the side last year. But they have found the rhythm in this competition and we think that is what makes the difference. They will surely root for a strong comeback in this match. 

Katene Clarke is playing a major role in the top order of the side. He is needed to provide a good start to the innings along with keeper Tim Seifert. The Northern franchise’s middle order will be managed by skipper Jeet Raval himself along with Fredrick Walker and Henry Cooper. Contributions from Brett Hampton and Peter Bocock are also crucial in the lower middle order. The bowling side will consist of Zak Gibson and Tim Pringle who are expected to produce good performances. 

NOR won their last match “full game” against WEL. The match was played on 4th January. The Wellington side was in their home conditions but still managed to score only 136 runs at the loss of 8 wickets. The Northern side won the match in just 18.4 overs with 6 wickets to spare. 

Match Details

Match: CAK vs NOR, 16th Match, New Zealand T20 League

Date: Friday, January 13, 2023

Time: 11:10 AM 

Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Pitch & Weather Report

The grounds in New Zealand are perfect for the batters, and the Hagley Oval’s surface in Christchurch is also not an exception. The batters will appreciate their time in the middle overs of the game. There is an even bounce on the pitch, and the batters will find no hardship in trying out their favourite shots.

The boundaries at this venue are not that big, and it will certainly favour the batting side. Also, the ground has a fast outfield which will provide the batters with rich rewards for their shots. In the opening overs of the game, the pacers may get some support from the surface. Being an open ground, the breeze will certainly flow in and assist in cheeky swing bowling.

The weather forecast in Hagley Oval, Christchurch is sunny with hints of clouds. The temperature is predicted to be around 19°C on the match day with 61% humidity and 18 km/h wind speed. There is a rate of 10% precipitation during the match time.

CAK vs NOR Squads

CAK: Chad Bowes, Matthew Boyle, Leo Carter, Cole McConchie (c), Cam Fletcher (wk), Mitchell Hay, Henry Shipley, Angus McKenzie, Todd Astle, William ORourke, Ed Nuttall, Blake Coburn

NOR: Brett Hampton, Freddy Walker, Henry Cooper, Jeet Raval, Joe Walker, Katene Clarke, Kristian Clarke, Peter Bocock, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tim Pringle, Tim Seifert, Zak Gibson

CAK vs NOR Probable XIs

CAK: Chad Bowes, Matthew Boyle, Leo Carter, Cole McConchie (c), Cam Fletcher (wk), Mitchell Hay, Henry Shipley, Angus McKenzie, Todd Astle, William O’Rourke

NOR: Fisher, Matthew, Anurag Verma, Neil Wagner, Mitchell Santner, Henry Cooper, Fergus Lellman, Katene Clarke, Joe Carter, Kane Williamson, Peter David Bocock, Tim Seifert

Match Prediction

NOR is presently facing a backlog in their batting. The top-order batters are having difficulties in building good partnerships. This is a problem they need to overcome as a team if they want to win this game. CAK is coming into this match with a win against NOR in this as well as the last season. Also, they are getting the home conditions in this match which is indeed a great advantage for their side. So we expect CAK to win this match again NOR. 

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