The State Otago Volts face State Auckland Aces in this season’s State Twenty20 final at Eden Park Outer Oval.
The Aces are hosting the final for the second year in succession, but lost to State Cantebury Wizards in 2006.
Auckland earned the right to home field advantage by topping the regular season points table.
The Volts, who narrowly missed out on hosting another limited overs final, have already won in Auckland this season, clinching a five-run victory last month.
Otago also qualified for the final of the State Shield, which they will host, but coach Mike Hesson is looking no further than Auckland.
He said: “We’ve played some good cricket along the way. We’re not jumping up and down just yet as we haven’t won anything but we’ve got two opportunities now.
“It’s very welcome, it’s but it’s just a shame the final match got rained off so we couldn’t play a home final in this too.”
Auckland counterpart Mark O’Donnell said: “We’ve really enjoyed the Twenty20 stuff this season and I think that shows in the way we’ve played.”
Captain Richard Jones added: “We lost to Otago in the first round in a game which we probably should have won, and we’d really like to put that right on Sunday. “
Both teams are likely to call on the players that served them well form the bulk of the campaign.
Volts spinner Nathan McCullum is the competition’s most prolific wicket taker this season, with eight, trailing Ewen Thompson of State Central Stags.
Auckland’s Paul Hitchcock is third in the run aggregates, although fellow Ace David Houpapa boasts an average of 61 during the State Twenty20 season.
State Auckland Aces (from): Richard Jones (captain), Martin Guptill, Colin de Grandhomme, Paul Hitchcock, Rob Nicol, Carl Cachopa, Dave Houpapa, Reece Young, Keeley Todd, Andre Adams, Chris Martin, Roneel Hira, Mayu Pasupati.
State Otago Volts (from): Craig Cumming (captain), Craig Gaffaney, Aaron Redmond, Neil Broom, Kieran Noema-Barnett, Greg Todd, Gareth Hopkins, Nathan McCullum, Brad Scott, Warren McSkimming, James McMillan, Nic Turner, Matthew Harvie.
State Twenty20 final: State Auckland Aces v State Otago Volts, 1pm Sunday 4 February. Live scoring at BLACKCAPS.co.nz..
