The Alexandra chapter of Super Smash has finished with Otago winning three of their four games across the men's and women's competitions. The ladies had two wins which gives them a sizzle start to Super Smash and the blokes lost their first game vs Canterbury but bounced back against Central Districts.

You already know that Glenn Phillips is awesome so we don't need to dive deeper into his mahi aside from updating how the lefty batter has dominated domestic cricket so far this season...

Plunket Shield: 130 runs @ 43.3avg/73sr | 9w @ 33.6avg/3.4rpo
Super Smash: 114 runs @ 114avg/168sr | 2w @ 18.5avg/7.4rpo

While Phillips only bats lefty when the southern stars are aligned, Otago have two proper lefties who have started well at the top of their batting line up. For all the buzz about Phillips, 21-year-old Jamal Todd has scores of 53 and 32 to start Super Smash with an overall strike-rate of 212.5.

That strike-rate is the highest for all Super Smash lads who have faced 20 deliveries and Todd is the only batter over 200sr in this group. Last season Todd was Otago's only batter who had two 50+ scores in Super Smash and he's already got one this season, with a T20 career record of 26.8avg/159.5sr.

For context, Phillips has a T20 career strike-rate of 140.6. Bevon Jacobs is one of the best batters in Aotearoa right now and his T20 hype stems from a strike-rate of 144. Another slick hitter for Auckland is Lachlan Stackpole and he's well behind Todd as well with 147.5sr. This is yet another example of why keen kiwi cricket fans should focus on players who are here, playing in and for Aotearoa because the younger cricketers are doing some crazy stuff.

Max Chu has only scored 64 runs in his two innings but this slots into the theme of him emerging as a genuine contender to Mitch Hay as the next up Blackcaps wicket-keeper. Chu is delivering the best mahi of his career in the last season and a half, which is evident in his Super Smash smacking...

2024/25: 230 runs @ 28.7avg/155.4sr
2025/26: 64 runs @ 32avg/139.1sr

One of the best undercover cricketers in Aotearoa is Luke Georgeson, who continues showcase his leadership mana for Otago. He didn't do much in Ford Trophy but Georgeson then settled as Otago's second best run-scorer and wicket-taker in Plunket Shield. Georgeson is Otago's only batter with three 50+ scores in Plunket Shield, as well as being their only batter with three not-out innings and he is one of three bowlers who have taken 10+ wickets so far.

T20 bowling is Georgeson's best format and that has been on display with his 5w @ 8avg/6.6rpo. No other Otago bowler has 3+ wickets and they are all operating over 7rpo, while Georgeson has done his job with the bat among the aggressive hitters with 36 runs @ 116sr after two innings.

Georgeson is 26-years-old, captains Otago in all three formats and is one of their three best players in each format. Aotearoa has plenty of depth in all positions, epecially the seaming all-rounder role so Georgeson needs to keep demanding an opportunity but he has blatant potential as a Blackcaps prospect.

Luke Georgeson's career mahi

FC: 27.1avg/37sr | 32.2avg/3.3rpo
LA: 33.6avg/76sr | 27avg/5.2rpo
T20: 20avg/121sr | 19.7avg/8.5rpo

Otago wahine have been boosted by the presence of Aussie Laura Harris but we only buzz about the locals and there is always plenty of kiwi intrigue in the Sparks group. Louisa Kotkamp has been the freshest wrinkle to start Super Smash with 4w @ 14avg/7rpo and this follows her impressive performance in the North vs South T20 series.

Kotkamp took 3w @ 9.6avg/5.8rpo for team South which all came in her last appearance, so she has three consecutive games with a wicket. Before that, Kotkamp had three consecutive games without a wicket and offered 3w @ 40.6avg/5.3rpo in the first stanza of HBJ Shield. All of which is reflected in the 20-year-old's career mahi where her LA bowling average of 29.45 drops to 15.25 in T20s.

Otago have another 20-year-old in Chloe Deeerness who has a wicket in both Super Smash games and five consecutive games stretching back through HBJ Shield. Deerness is one of Otago's best bowlers in HBJ Shield with 7w @ 18avg/4.6rpo and she has started Super Smash with 2w @ 22.5avg/7.5rpo as a member of the spinny Sparkles.

Other spinny Sparkles are Anna Browning and PJ Watkins, both of whom offer middle order batting but haven't been required to do much in Super Smash so far. Along with Deerness, all three have taken a wicket in the first two games, are all conceding 8rpo or below and are all in their early 20s.

Emma Black is Otago's best bowler as usual though. Black is the only Otago bowler with 10+ wickets in HBJ Shield and was one of team South's best bowlers, now she is tied with Kotkamp on 4w but has been more efficient than the young seamer. Between Black and wicket-keeper/batter Polly Inglis, Otago have two of the best wahine cricketers in Aotearoa.

HBJ Shield

Polly Inglis: 184 runs @ 36.8avg/88sr
Emma Black: 12w @ 15.4avg/3.3rpo

North vs South

Polly Inglis: 103 runs @ 34.3avg/181sr
Emma Black: 3w @ 13avg/5.5rpo

Super Smash

Polly Inglis: 39 runs @ 118.1sr
Emma Black: 4w @ 10.2avg/5.1rpo

Meanwhile there are two different form zones for Caitlin Blakely and Bella James. Blakely didn't play the North vs South series but she is doing better than James in HBJ Shield and Super Smash so far, with James only managing 61 runs @ 20.3avg/98sr in her three innings for team South.

HBJ Shield

Caitlin Blakely: 147 runs @ 49avg/80sr
Bella James: 114 runs @ 22.8avg/90sr

Super Smash

Caitlin Blakely: 54 runs @ 54avg/123sr
Bella James: 17 runs @ 8.5avg/77sr

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Peace and love.