Grand Finalists Wellington Blaze have been bolstered by the return of WHITE FERN Sophie Devine with the impactful WHITE FERN set to make her first appearance in the Dream11 Super Smash this season this Monday, Wellington Anniversary Day at the Cello Basin Reserve.
Devine is returning to the squad following a wellbeing break with her team already having secured direct entry to the Grand Final in Auckland on the back of outstanding form with bat and ball from fellow Fern Melie Kerr.
That means all four WHITE FERNS-contracted Blaze players are available as the team has a hit-out in its last regular season match of the summer, at home against the Canterbury Magicians, with Devine set to make her first appearance of the season ahead of Sunday's title match.
Blaze booked their ticket to the Grand Final with an unbeatable six points clearance atop the ladder, with one game to play and Devine’s inclusion sees Gemma Sims drop out of the squad, while Caitlin King is unavailable due to injury.
The Wellington Firebirds also have the big guns back in a huge game against the barnstorming Canterbury Kings that will determine who goes through to the men's Elimination Final - with the Firebirds, Kings and Central Stags all still alive, pending the result of this game.
BLACKCAPS quicks Adam Milne and Ben Sears both come back into the Firebirds squad as well as young batter Gareth Severin who'll be on debut should he be selected in the Playing XI.
The pace pair performed well against Pakistan in the recent T20 International Series, both taking some of the biggest wickets in world cricket in Rizwan and Babar.
A strong net run rate puts the Firebirds in pole position to secure a spot in the top three for the Elimination Final even if they don’t beat the Kings, but the Stags will be hoping they do, because the Stags are sitting just two points ahead of the fourth-placed Kings, and the Kings now have a better net run rate than the Stags after Canterbury's monster win over Northern Brave.
Rachin Ravindra was meanwhile called into the national side for the final T20i in Christchurch after COVID affected the BLACKCAPS' squad, and that makes Ravindra unavailable for selection for Monday, while Nick Greenwood and Iain McPeake make way and Tom Blundell and Tim Robinson are unavailable for selection due to injuries - but both are hopeful of a return should the Firebirds get into the Eliminator.
The action begins at the Cello Basin Reserve on Monday at 12.30PM with the Blaze against the ousted champs the Canterbury Magicians, and the Firebirds against the Kings from for a 4PM, all live on TVNZ+ and TVNZ Duke.
Images: PHOTOSPORT