An electrifying year for the Otago Sparks?

Kiwi Cricket Kōrero host and writer Ellie Indie previews the Otago Sparks ahead of the 2022–23 season (Originally written 17/11/22).

The Otago Sparks are the southernmost team in the circuit, yet found themselves at the

north end of the table when it came to last year’s standings. All eyes will be on the Dunedin-based unit this season. They’ll be on a mission to defend their HBJ crown, especially after winning so richly against the highly rated Wellington Blaze, as well as swap their Super Smash runner-up title in exchange for some gold.

HBJ RESULT: 1st

SS RESULT: 2nd

As previously mentioned, they were the only team to properly take the fight to the Blaze in both formats, where they didn’t beat them the Sparks came out second best.

Their HBJ title quest wasn’t so easy though. Like everyone else, they had heaps of games called off or decided through the very straightforward system that is the DLS method.

The Northern Districts fell victim to this system; to earn their place in the final above Otago, they had to beat Auckland in Hamilton, otherwise, they’d be behind on NRR. Auckland ended up with 167/4 after 34 overs in a rain-affected match, and ND replied scoring 212/8 after 34 overs chasing 213. The result was a draw and allowed Otago, who were tied on points in the table after the clash, to play in the final.

There wasn’t much to make of the Sparks 50 over campaign since they only saw the end of 5 games. Their first match resulted in a 213-run win over the Hinds, Katey Martin starting with a century and Emma Black with a five-fer, then a 3-wicket haul the following day in yet another strong win over the Hinds, by 82 runs.

Their final group stage match came against eventual finalists and runners-up Wellington, to whom they lost by 49 runs thanks to Leigh Kasperek & Xara Jetly’s 3-fers. Of course, this wasn’t to be repeated three weeks later in the final, as the Sparks came out victors of that.

As for the Super Smash, their group stage efforts were near to the dominance of the Blaze — being that they were the only team the Sparks saw loses against. They were sent in to bat each time and came back with 20+ run defeats. If Otago are to get their hands on the title this year, they’ve got to find a way to tackle the juggernaut that is the Wellington Blaze.

What’s electrifying for the Sparks is that their side is that they seem to have super subs, players coming on and making the most of the opportunities they get. It was evident in the HBJ Final when they had lost their national team players and relied on their youngsters to step up, they were prepared and eventually, the reason why they came out on top of Wellington — who appeared the complete opposite.

They don’t appear the strongest side on paper but it’s the collective effort from all that powers them over the line more often than not.

This year there’s no hiding the fact they’ll be without their mainstay wicketkeeper Katey Martin, who opted to retire at the start of this year after FairBreak. Martin’s career spanned across 22 years, breaking out into the domestic setup at 16 and leaving it with 495 caps across all 3 formats — including Test and FC, in women’s cricket! Can you believe that? Martin was the only member of the current White Fern to have played a test, which was back in 2003 versus India, post retirement tests now look an even more unlikely opportunity for our Ferns.

One super substitute will be Polly Inglis. Though Inglis has been in and around the side for just over 10 years, she’s more often than not played the role of Otago’s second-choice wicketkeeper to Martin. Last season we saw her take the gloves a few times in both formats, more so in the HBJ, and saw her take 3 catches and 2 stumpings in her limited cameos.

She’s found herself behind the stumps in Otago colours for over ten years now, first appearing for the U21s at 15. It’s not just her wicketkeeping that makes her such an exciting player to have in the team, but it’s her top-of-the-order batting that sells it for Inglis.

Though to date she only averages 15.38 in T20s at a strike rate of 86.86, last year we saw what Inglis is capable of on her day. Against Auckland, she and Suzie Bates put up an impressive 107-run partnership to which she contributed 61 runs, and looked to be batting comfortably throughout.

Inglis’ issue is that as an opener she starts slow and then fails to accelerate. Given the fast pace of the T20 game, it’s something the Sparks can't afford. This meant Katey Martin (who they can no longer rely on) and Kate Ebrahim would have to come in and almost fire away instantly.

The slow starting has worked for some, think Nat Dodd, but for Inglis it proved unsuccessful in last season’s campaign. It’s a similar problem Saachi Shahri of Auckland faces. Similarly to Shahri though, they both excel in the HBJ. The longer format suits their style of play much better.

Slower starts aren’t so negative in the 50-over format as there’s much more time (obviously) to get in and pace themselves. Historically that’s been Inglis’ best format, with over 1100 runs at an average of 16.60. She bats further down the order in the HBJ, typically 4 to 6. This doesn’t stop her from producing some good knocks though, her best of last season coming against the Hinds with 68 runs off 72 balls.

Hopefully, the unrestricted, uninterrupted season ahead, it gives Inglis a chance to perform at her best. She’ll be competing alongside the top batters in the tournament for the most runs, but to prove her worth as Otago’s new first-choice wicketkeeper.

Kate Ebrahim could’ve been considered unlucky by many to have missed out on a World Cup squad place after the stunning 50-over campaign she had. The Taranaki-born allrounder was the star of the HBJ Shield, scoring 451 runs in 7 innings, averaging 75.16. To throw even more impressive stats at you, she finished with 5 50+ scores, and a 200+ run partnership with Suzie Bates that wasn’t. To put into perspective just how domineering Ebrahim was, she was 140 runs clear of second-best Kate Anderson — similar to former Hinds teammate Nat Dodd’s 2018/19 season.

Ebrahim’s golden season didn’t stop there. In the Super Smash, she was able to claim 13 wickets at 6.47 rpo, finishing joint 7th in the wicket-takers chart. Though not standing out with the bat much here, she scored 153 runs in 11 innings with an average of 21.85.

It was a genuinely amazing all-around, all-format performance from the Spark. This year should be no different, she’ll most likely be leading from the front in Bates’ absence, but in every department of the game as a senior leader. Another player gunning for those top-of-the-charts places, keep an eye out for Kate Ebrahim and her exciting gameplay.

Eden Carson’s rise into the White Ferns Commonwealth Game squad in such a short period was incredible — she’s even got a bronze to take from it. Since then, she’s played a further 6 T20Is and made a superb ODI debut; she first claimed the wicket of West Indies captain Hayley Matthews, then Chinelle Henry and Shakera Selman.

This came after NZ’s sharp turn in attitudes and beliefs in the team, controversially ridding Amy Satterthewaite, Frankie Mackay, Leigh Kasperek and Lea Tahuhu from their national contracts list. The selectors’ energy turned towards performing youth in their domestic competitions, which made Eden Carson such an easy pick for the national team. With 11 wickets in 7 games later, it’s fair to say they got it right with the Dunedin-born offie.

In the Super Smash, she finished joint third in the wicket-takers list (17) with Melie Kerr and even shared her best figures with the Welly leggie of 4–12 — coming against Otago’s first meeting with Auckland. In the HBJ she and Kerr also shared joint second taking fourteen wickets each.

Though her most notable performance of the season came in that 50-over final, leading a fairly young Otago bowling unit. She finished up with 10–5–17–5, with only a single extra to her name. Beginning by removing Jetly LBW, she then ripped through the Welly middle order — claiming former Fern Thamsyn Newton, Olivia Boivin, Maneka Singh and Tash Codyre in the span of 10 overs.

That was her breakout season. If anything, given her newfound international experience and quality coaching from high up, Carson will be a force to be reckoned with this season. There’s no telling quite how high this 21-year-old offie is going to fly this year, which makes it all the more exciting.

To conclude…

Otago should be up top fighting for the wins again similar to last year. Their team has had minor changes — Katey Martin retiring, former White Fern and Northern Brave Felicity Leydon-Davis making a return post-injury, Eden Carson being made a Fern and Polly Inglis picking up the gloves.

There’s also the potential for Molly Loe, a coming star in the Sparks side, will be out on U19 duties for the junior World Cup. While not an incredible transformation from last year, there’s a fair bit of the little things for the team to adapt to.

They’ll be defending their HBJ crown after that brilliant display versus Wellington, which will be a tough task. The teams in the 50 over competition appear more evenly matched than what the Super Smash is predicted to be, so Otago will have some serious battles to overcome to make it consecutive titles.

Their bowling department feels the strongest part in their side, with Carson off the back of an incredible year, Bates picking the ball up more frequently recently, Ebrahim being a consistent performer in all aspects of her game, Emma Black recently stepping up for the side and Leydon-Davis as an experienced campaigner ready to reintroduce herself into the tournaments. It’s what won them the final last year, and could well do so this year.

Otago’s contract list for this season (2022–23):

Gemma Adams, Emma Black, Caitlin Blakely, Kate Ebrahim, Olivia Gain (WK), Polly Inglis (WK), Bella James, Felicity Leydon-Davis, Paige Loggenberg, Molly Loe, Sophie Oldershaw, Saffron Wilson

(Bates ©, Carson & Jensen all on NZ contract)