Christchurch’s Hagley Oval is set to play host to the 2025-26 Dream11 Super Smash women’s and men’s elimination and grand finals.
New Zealand’s best will descend on Christchurch for a weekend of blockbuster finals cricket in the last three days of January, mirroring the one ground finals initiative introduced last season which saw Wellington’s Cello Basin Reserve successfully host.
The 32-day, 64-game competition gets underway on Boxing Day, with the Northern Brave hosting the Auckland Hearts and Aces at Seddon Park in Hamilton, with play almost every single day until the final round-robin clash on January 26.
The 2024-25 season was a watershed one for the Super Smash with TVNZ broadcasts reaching over one million New Zealanders, along with a record 7.3 million views across Super Smash content on NZC’s digital channels.
KFC’s “6’s for Surf” is back again, with KFC pledging $100 for every six hit, with $38,100 donated to Surf Lifesaving NZ last season.
Tom Bruce, Central Stags captain and last season’s Dream11 Super Smash Men’s Player of the Year said the quality of the Super Smash was extremely high.
“You’ve got BLACKCAPS and WHITE FERNS scattered across the teams along with plenty of up and coming stars pushing for their chance at the next level.
“With only six teams in the competition, you have to constantly be thinking about evolving your game as you often play similar squads a few times a season.
“You’re forced to progress your game as individuals and as a team, otherwise players will figure you out pretty quickly.
“It’s also great for players to get used to playing in front of a large crowd and a pretty substantial TV audience too.
“If they can get a taste of playing in that context, then once they make the step up to BLACKCAPS or WHITE FERNS, they already have some invaluable experience playing in that sort of environment.”
Suzanne Pearce, Executive Manager of the Canterbury Cricket Trust which owns and operates Hagley Oval, believes the move to host finals in Christchurch is a huge vote of confidence in the central city oval.
“We’re thrilled to have both the elimination finals and the grand final at Hagley. We think we have the best ground in New Zealand and it’s a huge vote of confidence in the venue, the city and the cricket community here in Christchurch, so we’re very pleased.
Pearce says the Canterbury locals will relish the chance to have more high-quality cricket in their backyard.
“Our crowds the last few seasons are testament to how loyal the fans are here. It’s a big win, not only for the city but the wider Canterbury region. It’s a chance for our fans to see the best players in the country play some awesome cricket and for those young players coming through to be inspired.”
“There is something really special about having a world-class international cricket ground in the middle of our city park. You look one way and see the southern alps and see the city and the port hills at the other end. “
New Years Day sees a repeat of last season’s men’s final, with The Canterbury Kings hosting the Central Stags at Hagley Oval.
The Kings will be looking to earn their first T20 title in 20 years after coming agonisingly close as runners-up in the last 5 seasons.
Last season, standout performances from the likes of Zak Foulkes and Bevon Jacobs earned them both BLACKCAPS T20 call-ups, and franchise cricket opportunities.
Fans will have to wait and see the next star to be uncovered in this season’s Dream11 Super Smash.