As Super Smash finals are played on Sunday, let's take a moment to digest the best of the rest which includes Blackcaps/White Ferns context and notable youngsters for both competitions. Northern Districts lost both their finals games on Saturday so they feature in this breakdown along with Auckland, Canterbury and Central Districts on the women's side, while Wellington, Otago and Auckland make up the bottom three on the men's side.

This is a locals only breakdown zoning in on kiwis and players in the final are not included. Here is the best of the rest list for women...

Batting

Lauren Down: 304 runs @ 76avg/108sr - 3rd
Kate Anderson: 294 runs @ 32.6avg/105sr - 4th
Maddy Green: 269 runs @ 33.6avg/107sr - 5th
Caitlin Gurrey: 215 runs @ 30.7avg/100sr - 9th
Jess Watkin: 208 runs @ 26avg/142sr - 11th

Bowling

Fran Jonas: 14w @ 16.3avg/6rpo - 4th
Claudia Green: 11w @ 22.2av/6.4rpo - 8th
Hannah Rowe: 10w @ 20.6avg/7rpo - 9th

There are varying degrees of White Ferns funk in the group above. Gurrey, Watkin and Green have all played for White Ferns and could play for Aotearoa right now but the selection mix has shifted away from them. Anderson fits into this pocket as well with a recent call up to White Ferns before being shunned after a few games.

Green and Jonas are settled in White Ferns. Down has been in and out of White Ferns but she was recently selected for the Rose Bowl where she batted down the order, which follows the theme of players being deployed in strange roles for Aoetaroa. Down had a strong Super Smash campaign and flashed more attacking strokes that should align with the one-day role down the order, however her best spot is still in the top-order where she scored all these runs for Auckland.

Rowe missed out on selection for the Rose Bowl and Down kinda took her place in the line up, without offering the all-round mahi that Rowe does. Rowe responded with a solid Super Smash in which she was excellent with the ball and one of the best batters in a weak Central Hinds line up. Whether that is good enough for a White Ferns return remains to be seen.

Best of the rest for men…

Batting

Katene Clarke: 282 runs @ 35.2avg/129sr - 3rd
Bevon Jacobs: 263 runs @ 37.5avg/141sr - 5th
Nick Kelly: 238 runs @ 26.4avg/127sr - 6th
Tim Robinson: 230 runs @ 57.5avg/144sr - 9th
Max Chu: 230 runs @ 28.7avg/155sr - 10th

Bowling

Danru Ferns: 14w @ 15.7avg/7.9rpo - 2nd
Jock McKenzie: 13w @ 17.9avg/8.9rpo (134 runs @ 33.5avg/123sr) - 3rd
Andrew Hazeldine: 13w @ 19.7avg/8.4rpo - 4th
Kristian Clarke: 12w @ 20.5avg/9.5rpo - 7th

The most notable storyline in this group is Bevon Jacobs simmering away as an elite batting prospect for Aotearoa. Jacobs has commanded plenty of T20 hype and his Super Smash mahi reinforces that hype, although it's worth reminding folks that Jacobs has three 50+ scores in his first four Plunket Shield games with 287 runs @ 41avg/60sr.

Auckland also have Jock McKenzie on the rise. While he finished behind Danru Ferns for wickets, McKenzie has more upside than Ferns in the Blackcaps mix and his genuine all-round ability (bowling/batting/fielding) was on display throughout the Super Smash. Along with wickets in six of his eight innings bowled, McKenzie had four not-outs in his eight batting innings and his seven catches were only behind Will O'Donnell's eight catches for Auckland.

T20 bowling is McKenzie's best zone and like his freaky catching ability, the batting class of McKenzie can't be overlooked. As one of four Auckland batters to average 30+ in Super Smash, McKenzie is nudging that mark in his T20 career (28.4avg/124sr), plus he has already got a 50+ score in Plunket Shield and Ford Trophy.

Tim Robinson this summer...

Ford Trophy: 100 runs @ 50avg/68sr
Plunket Shield: 171 runs @ 42.7avg/68sr
ODIs since October 1st: 48 runs @ 16avg/102sr
T20Is since October 1st: 92 runs @ 18avg/129sr

Katene Clarke, Nick Kelly and Andrew Hazeldine all offer funky wrinkles. Clarke struggled for runs prior to Super Smash and showed his effortless hitting ability, which could spark some form in the other formats. Kelly has been dominant in Plunket Shield (551 runs @ 78avg) this summer and he has elevated to the classy veteran crew also featuring lads like Tom Bruce, Cole McConchie, Sean Solia, Rob O'Donnell.

Hazeldine has the most unique skillset as he is a hostile lefty seamer. T20 is his best format and the only format he averages less than 30 in (26.3avg/8.3rpo) so it will be interesting to track his involvement for Otago through the second stanza. Hazeldine hasn't bowled in Plunket Shield and he's got 5w @ 41avg/5.8rpo in four games of Ford Trophy.

Max Chu and Kristian Clarke join Robinson and Katene Clarke as notable emerging talent. Chu has scored runs in all three formats this summer and deserves to be in the Blackcaps wicket-keeping mix competing with Mitch Hay for game time. Chu this summer...

Plunket Shield: 360 runs @ 60avg/50sr
Ford Trophy: 157 runs @ 39.2avg/103sr

Kristian Clarke has been far better in Super Smash than Plunket Shield and Ford Trophy this summer, however he has maintained his impressive career record. Along with three 50+ scores in First-Class batting, Clarke averages 30.6 in FC bowling and 25 or below in T20/List-A bowling.

Below are notable emerging players. The men's list has a juicy group of aggressive batters and the women's list is all bowlers, including young leggy Ocean Bartlett and lefty seamer Bree Illing (Muhammad Abbas is a lefty seamer too).

Men

Dale Phillips: 210 runs @ 23.3avg/154sr
Muhammad Abbas: 185 runs @ 30.8avg/147sr | 2w @ 82avg/9.1rpo
Simon Keene: 185 runs @ 23avg/171sr | 4w @ 33.2avg/7.3rpo
Jamal Todd: 181 runs @ 22.6avg/143sr
Llew Johnson: 170 runs @ 21avg/143sr

Women

Missy Banks: 9w @ 26.5avg/7rpo
Ocean Bartlett: 8w @ 21.6avg/6.7rpo
Bree Illing: 8w @ 24.5avg/5.4rpo
Marama Downes: 8w @ 26.1avg/6.2pro

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