• Katene Clarke blasts first ton of 2025 Dream11 Super Smash
• Brave partnership record almost smashes national T20 record
The back end of the 2024/25 Dream11 Super Smash has been lit up by the first T20 century of this season’s competition, amid a ballistic record partnership.
Northern Brave opener Katene Clarke smashed 106 off just 65 balls in Dunedin this afternoon, against men’s leader the Otago Volts who had elected to bowl first.
It’s the strong 25-year-old’s first T20 century, and formed the backbone of a supercharged first-wicket stand of 194 with experienced Joe Carter who reached 83 off 49 balls before he was run out in the final over of Brave’s innings.
The pair came close to busting the New Zealand record stand of 201 in the format, set by Peter Ingram and Jamie How for the Central Stags in 2011/12 (also for the first wicket).
They will settle for New Zealand’s second-highest T20 partnership, and a new Northern Districts T20 partnership record for all wickets – which previously stood at 165, Anton Devcich/Brad Wilson in 2012/13.
Their aggression saw Northern Brave become the first team this season to put a 200-plus total on the board, 212/2 from their 20 overs – a total that sits in the top eight for Brave in their team history.
The pair hit 10 sixes between them, eight of those flying off Clarke’s bat. The steep chase has just got underway at University of Otago Oval.
• Earlier, Northern Brave’s women upset women’s competition leaders by seven wickets.
The Otago Sparks hold a six-point lead at the top of the table, with the Brave women leapfrogging into second spot, ahead of defending champion Wellington Blaze.
