Basking in the Central Otago sun is hard to pass up at the best of times.
Add in a couple of games of cricket and you have yourself a good day out.
The Otago Sparks and the Otago Volts are taking their opening Super Smash games to sunny Alexandra again with the fixtures the first in their 2025-26 T20 seasons.
They will open their campaigns at Molyneux Park — against the Canterbury Magicians and Canterbury Kings respectively — on December 28.
They will then meet the Central Hinds and Central Stags on December 30.
Alexandra has proved a popular spot for the opening fixtures in recent seasons, and this year is sure to be no different.
Doubleheaders remain in the Super Smash this season with the Otago Sparks and Otago Volts playing at the same ground on the same day.
Otago then hit the road for a stretch of away games in the new year against Northern (January 4), Auckland (January 6) and Wellington (January 9).
Super Smash will then make a welcome return to the University Oval, where the Otago teams will host a spate of home clashes.
They meet Auckland (January 12), Wellington (January 15) and Northern (January 18) in Dunedin, before heading away for their final two round robin games against Canterbury (January 21) and Central (January 24).
Both finals series will be held at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval this season.
The men’s and women’s elimination finals will be held on January 30 and the finals on January 31.
The Otago Sparks will be looking to go one better later this year after being runners-up in the 2024-25 women’s Super Smash final.
After being one of the most dominant teams throughout the year, the Sparks — who went on to win the one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield title — lost by eight runs to the Wellington Blaze in the T20 final at the Basin Reserve.
It handed the Wellington Blaze back-to-back Super Smash titles, and they will be hoping to make it a threepeat this season.
The Otago Volts hit a purple patch in the middle of the season this year but fell off the pace slightly towards the end and missed the playoffs.
The Central Stags will be out to defend their men’s title after beating the Canterbury Kings by six wickets in last year’s final.
But the Kings will be desperate to earn their first T20 title in 20 years after being runners-up for the past five seasons.
The Super Smash season — which features 64 games across 32 days — gets under way on Boxing Day between the Northern Brave and the Auckland Hearts.
Super Smash
The schedule
Otago Volts: v Canterbury (Alexandra), Dec 28; v Central (Alexandra), Dec 30; v Northern (Mt Maunganui), Jan 4; v Auckland (Auckland), Jan 6; v Wellington (Wellington), Jan 9; v Auckland (Dunedin), Jan 12; v Wellington (Dunedin), Jan 15; v Northern (Dunedin), Jan 18; v Canterbury (Christchurch), Jan 21; v Central (Napier), Jan 24.
Otago Sparks: v Canterbury (Alexandra), Dec 28, v Central (Alexandra), Dec 30; v Northern (Mt Maunganui), Jan 4; v Auckland (Mt Maunganui), Jan 6; v Wellington (Wellington), Jan 9; v Auckland (Dunedin), Jan 12; v Wellington (Dunedin), Jan 15; v Northern (Dunedin), Jan 18; v Canterbury (Christchurch), Jan 21; v Central (Napier), Jan 24.
