2023/24 Women's Super Smash All Stars
Wellington Blaze added another Super Smash championship to their dynasty and Amelia Kerr leads a strong Wellington crew in the Women's Super Smash All Stars. Unlike the blokes All Stars outfit, this team features a bunch of White Ferns who dominated the Super Smash and it represents the best T20 cricketers in Aotearoa far more than the men's All Stars team.
Players needed to get through at least five games to be in the mix and selection skews towards batting power, with those powerful hitters also offering classy bowling. To keep this based on Aotearoa's Super Smash talent, no overseas imports were selected. The only issue with this All Stars team is the lack of a genuine wicket-keeper who elevated above the competition for run-scoring. Jess McFadyen still seems like the best wicket-keeper in Aotearoa and Holly Topp is building a compelling case as the best emerging wicket-keeper, although no wicket-keeper scored enough runs to demand selection.
2023/24 Women's Super Smash All Stars
Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, Maddy Green (wk), Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Jess Watkin, Jess Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, Rosemary Mair, Leigh Kasperek, Marama Downes
Maddy Green is selected as the wicket-keeper having had cameos in this role for White Ferns before and the Auckland skipper continues to flourish at all levels. Four batters scored 280+ runs in Super Smash with Green a spot below English import Hollie Armitage, as well as Suzie Bates and Amelia Kerr.
Bates and Kerr were the only batters with 320+ runs, as well as the only batters to register at least three 50+ scores. Bates had three 50+ scores in her 398 runs @ 56avg/115sr and A-Kerr finished as the leading run-scorer on 437 runs @ 72avg/125sr. When highlighting A-Kerr's dominance, it is important to note that she wasn't just the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker; A-Kerr was the the only batter with 400+ runs and 18+ wickets (20w @ 8.95avg/4.47rpo).
A-Kerr was the best batter and bowler by a significant margin and she led Wellington to glory, while Sophie Devine only played two games. Having emerged as the best batter for White Ferns in recent years, A-Kerr has now laid down emphatic foundations for being the best female cricketer in Aotearoa right now.
Wellington also have Jess Kerr, Georgia Plimmer and Leigh Kasperek in the All Stars. Plimmer finished eighth for runs, sitting behind Northern Districts' Caitlin Gurrey and Canterbury's Frances Mackay for runs. Plimmer earns selection ahead of those two as she was only dismissed in four of 10 innings, had an excellent strike-rate of 105.6 and she is the best fielder in women's cricket.
Kasperek finished second for wickets, giving Wellington the two best bowlers in Super Smash. J-Kerr didn't take as many wickets as other bowlers (19th) but she was more economical than many of those bowlers who took more wickets than her. Add in a finished a batting strike-rate of 129 which was the highest batting strike-rate for batters with 50+ runs.
Central Districts made the final with Hannah Rowe and Rosemary Mair showcasing their all-round talents. Rowe was second for CD Hinds runs behind Armitage while also offering tidy seam bowling and Mair flashed her slugging down the order, but she earned selection thanks to her seam bowling which was the best for seamers in the White Ferns mixer.
Mair finished fourth for wickets and had the most zip of all seamers in Super Smash, which flows into a funky unit of hitters in the All Stars middle-lower order. Along with J-Kerr and Mair, Lea Tahuhu (Canterbury) and Jess Watkin (Northern Districts) bolster the power as well as adding to the bowling department.
Tahuhu didn't have her best Super Smash campaign but she was still more efficient that most. Tahuhu had a batting strike-rate of 107 snared 10w @ 16avg, while Watkin finished 16th for runs with a strong strike-rate of 107 and sixth for wickets as ND Brave's second best bowler behind Marama Downes. Watkin offers off-spin alongside A-Kerr's leggies and Kasperek's funky quiver.
That leaves Downes as the only young emerging player in the All Stars. Downes joined Kasperek and A-Kerr with 15+ wickets, offering incredible efficiency for a young seamer. It felt like every Super Smash batter knew what Downes was going to offer as she consistently attacked the stumps with accuracy and nibble, yet Downes kept taking wickets.
Suzie Bates
Bat: 398 runs @ 56.85avg/115sr
Amelia Kerr
Bat: 437 runs @ 72.83avg/125sr
Ball: 20w @ 8.95avg/4.47rpo
Maddy Green (wk)
Bat: 283 runs @ 47.16avg/111sr
Georgia Plimmer
Bat: 187 runs @ 46.75avg/102sr
Hannah Rowe
Bat: 184 runs @ 26.28avg/101sr
Ball: 9w @ 25.88avg/6.75rpo
Jess Watkin
Bat: 142 runs @ 14.2avg/107sr
Ball: 11w @ 19.81avg/5.78rpo
Jess Kerr
Bat: 74 runs @ 12.33avg/129.82sr
Ball: 7w @ 29.14avg/5.36rpo
Lea Tahuhu
Bat: 58 runs @ 8.28avg/107.4sr
Ball: 10w @ 16avg/5.51rpo
Rosemary Mair
Bat: 65 runs @ 21.66avg/103sr
Ball: 14w @ 15.42avg/5.86rpo
Leigh Kasperek
Ball: 17w @ 12.35avg/5.38rpo
Marama Downes
Ball: 16w @ 12.68avg/5.58rpo
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