Canterbury Kings captain Cole McConchie will head into tomorrow night's title fight with Northern Brave as the most experienced men's captain in Dream11 Super Smash history. The only thing missing in his career is a title.
McConchie has led the Kings in the short format on 54 previous occasions, a national record that he has taken off his Kings head coach, Peter Fulton who captained the side 52 times in T20s.
Next most experienced on the New Zealand men's circuit is Tom Bruce with 47 matches as captain of the ousted Central Stags who have been left to seek consolation in next Sunday's one-day Ford Trophy Grand Final.
Super captains Cole McConchie and Tom Bruce | PHOTOSPORT
Worldwide, only 11 (male) players have captained a T20 side in more consecutive matches than McConchie who has 54 armbands on the trot, from 23 December 2018 up to Monday's Waitangi Day 10th round, in which the Kings qualified for the Grand Final for the second year running.
When McConchie walks onto the field in the Hagley Oval Grand Final, he will move up a notch to equal Babar Azam's 55 consecutive captaincy caps for Pakistan. Gautam Gambhir's 107, for the Kolkata Knight Riders is the world record.
For all the rich experience, McConchie has never lifted a Dream11 Super Smash crown in his career.
Fulton meanwhile won the inaugural season's title as a player.
That was the last time the Canterbury Kings (then known as the Wizards) won the title, 17 long seasons ago in Auckland, February 2006 against the Auckland Aces. Chris Harris was the skipper, and Fulton (below) scored a golden duck.
All images | PHOTOSPORT
But if we were to throw down the challenge to name who has captained the most T20s overall in Dream11 Super Smash history, what names would spring to mind?
Here's a clue: they've been racking up quite a bit of statchat in recent rounds.
Yes, it's the most-capped Canterbury Magician herself, Amy Satterthwaite who has now led the Mags a record 62 times.
With Frankie Mackay (54 caps as Canterbury Magicians captain) injured, Satterthwaite's gone past former longtime Otago Spark Katey Martin as New Zealand's record captain.
Martin retired last season with 57 T20s as Sparks skipper and Satterthwaite has revealed that the Grand Final will be her last T20 of a magnificent red and black career.
Had Mackay not suffered an ankle injury this season, we would likely have seen Mackay overtaking that mark, but instead it's stand-in skipper Satterthwaite out in front and set to chalk up number 63 in the Grand Final tomorrow. Both have previously lifted the trophy as Magicians captain.
So it's a Canterbury double on the captains' caps front. Will it be a Canterbury double tomorrow?
2022/23 Dream11 Super Smash Grand Finals
Saturday, 11 February at Hagley Oval, Christchurch
2.30pm • defending champion Wellington Blaze v Canterbury Magicians
6.30pm • Canterbury Kings v defending champion Northern Brave
All Finals live on Spark Sport
Tickets available at: https://www.supersmash.co.nz