Friday night under lights in Hamilton is set to be super-charged between two neighbouring and rival teams who aren't used to being in the spotlight come Finals time.
For Northern Brave women, this is their first ever appearance in the playoffs while for the Central Hinds it's been a long time between drinks.
The Elimination Final at Seddon Park gets underway at 6PM NZT with livescoring here at www.supersmash.co.nz as well as www.nzc.nz and on the NZC app, and a free livstream on TVNZ+ in New Zealand.
Check out the squads who will go toe-to-toe in a must-see encounter! The winner will get to meet Wellington Blaze in the Grand Final at Eden Park in Auckland this Sunday.
NORTHERN BRAVE
Qualified: Second
Last won the title: Never
Previous Elimination Final: None, although Elimination Finals weren't introduced until a few years ago in the women's league, although the Brave (then called Northern Spirit) did finish third on the table back in 2007/08, the very first year of the women's league, and long before playoffs came in.
Pocket Notes: Once upon a time, indeed for quite a long time, Northern Brave used to battle the Central Hinds for the wooden spoon. But both teams have had their best T20 summer in some time, re-igniting a longstanding rivalry between 'the Districts'. Adding to the spice is former Hinds captain Jess Watkin is now in her first summer with the Brave. Brave captain Eimear Richardson used to play for the Hinds, too. Hinds captain Natalie Dodd used to captain the Brave. Northern Brave is unchanged from their DLS win over the Otago Sparks that got them into this home Elimination Final - having won three games on the bounce to get here.
ELIMINATION FINAL SQUAD
Eimear Richardson - captain
Carol Agafili
Chamari Athapathuthu (Overseas player - Sri Lanka)
Lucy Boucher
Marama Downes
Caitlin Gurrey
Marina Lamplough
Nensi Patel
Shriya Naidu
Holly Topp - wicketkeeper
Jess Watkin
Eve Wolland
CENTRAL HINDS
Qualified: Third
Last won the title: 2009/10 (only title)
Most recent Final: 2015/16 when the Hinds made the season's Final, but lost it to the Canterbury Magicians
Pocket notes: The Hinds finished at the bottom of the table last season after only one win from 10 rounds — but that win was against Northern Brave in Hamilton (a last-ball, seven-wicket victory in the Hinds’ last game of that season). Since then, they've beaten the Brave in Hamilton just before Christmas this season in the opening round, and then beat them again in round two at home in Palmerston North a few days later. The Hinds will be keen to keep that streak going, and have captain Dodd and gun fielder Thamysn Newton back for the big game.
ELIMINATION FINAL SQUAD
Natalie Dodd - captain, wicketkeeper
Hollie Armitage - overseas player (England)
Georgia Atkinson
Priyanaz Chatterji - overseas player (Scotland)
Flora Devonshire
Claudia Green
Mikaela Greig
Ashtuti Kumar
Emma McLeod
Rosemary Mair
Thamsyn Newton
Hannah Rowe
Unavailable due to injury: Kerry Tomlinson