New Zealand Cricket has unveiled a revamped points system for the upcoming Women’s Super Smash, aimed squarely at encouraging bolder batting and faster scoring as the domestic game aligns more closely with international T20 trends.
Under the revised structure, teams will still earn four points for a league-stage win, but can now pick up an additional bonus point in each match. That bonus will be awarded either for scoring 150 runs or more — whether batting first or second — or, in a chase, for maintaining a run rate at least 1.25 times higher than the opposition’s first-innings rate. Only one bonus point can be claimed per match.
The move follows an internal NZC review of global women’s cricket, which showed a clear shift towards higher scoring rates, increased boundary percentages and rising first-innings totals across both international and leading domestic competitions. The analysis suggested that benchmarks for what constitutes a competitive T20 performance have moved on — and domestic structures need to keep pace.
Last season’s Super Smash numbers underlined the issue. In 32 matches, teams batting first crossed the 150 mark just six times, with a highest total of 171. Notably, there were no scores between 140 and 149, while eight innings fell in the 131–140 range. A significant 17 first-innings totals — some affected by weather — ended at 130 or below.
New Zealand women’s head coach Ben Sawyer believes the bonus-point system can help bridge the gap between domestic and international demands.
“It’s an exciting addition to the competition,” Sawyer said. “It rewards aggressive batting and proactive, wicket-taking bowling plans — the key skill sets in this format. Our hope is that teams start to align their style of play with international standards, which will lift the domestic competition and better prepare players for the global stage.”
With the next Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled for June, Sawyer sees the Super Smash as a crucial platform for preparation. “We’re expecting high-scoring games at the World Cup, so this gives our players a great chance to get ready for that environment.”
While welcoming the change, Sawyer was careful to stress that points tweaks alone won’t transform batting standards overnight.
“This isn’t a silver bullet,” he said. “Individual skill, tactical awareness and quality coaching will always play a huge role. But this is a positive step in the right direction.”
The Women’s Super Smash gets underway on Boxing Day at Seddon Park, with Northern Districts hosting Auckland. Defending champions Wellington begin their title defence against Central Districts on November 27, with the new bonus-point incentive set to add an extra layer of intrigue throughout the season.
