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The Women’s Super Smash is New Zealand’s leading limited-overs domestic cricket tournament introduced in 2007, two years after the men’s competition was first played.

Canterbury Magicians emerged victorious in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Super Smash. 

They bagged 18 points from their four wins and a no result out of the five matches, with their final clash against Otago Sparks getting abandoned without a ball being bowled. In fact, Canterbury Magicians were the only unbeaten team throughout the first edition.

The Magicians finished runners-up in the following edition to Wellington Blaze, who won their maiden title. 

The edition’s leading run-getter Lucy Doolan scored 63 off 51 balls in the final to win it for her team following a disciplined bowling show that restricted Canterbury Magicians to 123/10.

The win in the 2008/2009 season began Wellington’s domination in the competition as they went on to lift the trophy on six more occasions, in 2012/13, 2014/15, three consecutive titles between 2017 and 2020 along with 2021/22.

As far as inaugural champions Canterbury Magicians are concerned, they have won the tournament six times, in 2007/08, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2015/16, 2020/21 and 2022/23.

Central Hinds, Auckland Hearts and Otago Sparks are the other teams to have won the Women’s Super Smash on one occasion each.

While Central Hinds won the third edition in 2009/10, Auckland Hearts won their only silverware in 2013/14. Otago Sparks too clinched their solitary accolade in 2016/17.

Meanwhile, New Zealand batter Suzie Bates holds the record for most runs scored in a single edition. The right-handed batter scored 504 runs in 12 matches with the help of five half-centuries for Otago Sparks in the 2021/22 campaign to help her team finish as runners-up.

Interestingly, Bates is the only batter to smash 500-plus runs in a single season.

On the other hand, Jess Kerr, Frances Mackay and Leigh Kasperek jointly hold the record for most wickets in one season, with each of them taking 20 wickets in 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22, respectively.

Women's Super Smash winners list

Edition Winner Runner-up
2007/08 Canterbury Magicians Central Hinds
2008/09 Wellington Blaze Canterbury Magicians
2009/10 Central Hinds Auckland Hearts
2010/11 Canterbury Magicians Wellington Blaze
2011/12 Canterbury Magicians Auckland Hearts
2012/13 Wellington Blaze Canterbury Magicians
2013/14 Auckland Hearts Canterbury Magicians
2014/15 Wellington Blaze Otago Sparks
2015/16 Canterbury Magicians Central Hinds
2016/17 Otago Sparks Canterbury Magicians
2017/18 Wellington Blaze Auckland Hearts
2018/19 Wellington Blaze Canterbury Magicians
2019/20 Wellington Blaze Auckland Hearts
2020/21 Canterbury Magicians Wellington Blaze
2021/22 Wellington Blaze Otago Sparks
2022/23 Canterbury Magicians Wellington Blaze

 

Photo credit: Alamy

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