The Georgie Pie Super Smash Twenty20 encounter between the Sky City Northern Knights and the Otago Volts tomorrow begins an extravaganza of top level cricket at the Bay Oval at Mount Maunganui over the next three months.
The Black Caps play Sri Lanka in an ODI on January 5 and then two days later the teams meet in a Twenty20 encounter. In late February the women's World Cup champions, Australia, play the White Ferns in a three-game ODI series.
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The Knights will be without the returning Black Caps as they have been rested ahead of the Sri Lankan tour. Mitchell Santner said this was an important weekend for the Knights to secure their place in the finals.
"I am disappointed to not be playing. Hopefully the boys can bring it home over the weekend. It would be great to see as many Knights' fans as possible at the grounds for our final home matches," he said.