Bates' 100 Guides Sparks to Victory - Vincent Jones

Kiwi Cricket Kōrero host and writer Vincent Jones writes on the Otago Sparks vs Northern Brave Women’s Super Smash 2022–23 season (originally written 28/12/22)

Toss: Northern Brave won the toss and elect to bowl

Otago Sparks: Suzie Bates, Olivia Gain, Polly Inglis, Kate Ebrahim, Caitlin Blakely, Felicity Leydon-Davis, Isabella James, Hayley Jensen, Eden Carson, Emma Black, Sophie Oldershaw

Northern Brave: Caitlin Gurrey, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Sam Barriball, Nensi Patel, Amanda Jade-Wellington, Eimear Richardson, Natasha Wakelin, Phoebe Graham, Holly Topp, Kayley Knight, Shriya Naidu

First Innings:

After an interesting decision to bowl first by the Brave, they were going to need to take key early wickets. With the first over going for 10 runs including two fours off the bat of Suize Bates, it showed that the Sparks were going to attack the game from the start. Kayley Knight was given the ball for the second over and took the wicket of Olivia Gain with her first ball. Polly Inglis joined Bates at the crease and the boundaries kept flowing from the bat of Bates hitting two more of Shriya Naidu. Nensi Patel broke through with a wicket removing Inglis for a quiet six from 12 balls. Kate Ebrahim joined Bates at the crease and the intent was still being shown by Bates, even after the fall of the wicket. Taking 11 runs of the last over of the powerplay showed that the Sparks knew they were going to keep attacking if they wanted to get a defendable total. A few quiet overs followed as Ebrahim started to get into her work, before hitting a boundary of Eimear Richardson and Amanda-Jade Wellington. Boundaries were being scored basically every over and the third wicket 50 run partnership was bought up in 43 balls. Runs started flowing from the 13th over when Bates hit Patel for six and then Ebrahim took her for a four and Bates for a six in her next over. Sitting at 114/2 with five overs left it was looking like it would be up to Bates to up the ante and get the Sparks to a good total. With Richardson taking the tap in the 17th over, going for 19 runs including two sixes, it was looking like we could see a well deserved century by the Otago captain. As Bates got closer and closer, it looked like she might run out of delivers to get her to her century. Ebrahim departed in the 20th over, after making her 50 from 26 balls being run out by Knight, and Bates was finally able to get to her century on the second to last ball of the innings. Her 6th Twenty20 century (second for Otago), came from 66 balls as she monstered eight fours and four sixes in her knock of 101 from 67. Bates was the top scorer with 101 and Ebrahim got 52. Knight and Patel both took one wicket.

Second Innings:

The two Brave openers strode to the middle with an uphill battle on their hands, knowing that they needed to get off to a fast start. Caitlin Gurrey showed her attacking nature in the first three overs, taking a boundary of each one to leave the visitors at 22/0. The big moment of the game came when Gurrey had to retire hurt after hurting her knee. This bought Sam Bariball to the crease and she tried to keep finding the boundary. As the Sparks were tying the game down and reducing the amount of runs, Bariball departed being caught by Olivia Gain and giving Emma Black the wicket. Patel came to the crease, and one of Patel or Bernadine Bezuidenhout was going to need to attack to get the Brave the victory. Beuzidenhout was starting to find the boundary every now and then, but unfortunately for her was caught in the outfield by Black with Hayley Jensen picking up the wicket. Wellington and Patel were now at the stage where they had to start swinging and looking for the boundaries rather than getting ones and twos. These two weren’t able to find the boundary however as there was some great bowling from the Sparks side to help slow the runs. Ebrahim picked up the wicket of Wellington leaving the Brave needing 43 from 16 balls. Eimear Richardson came and went and so did Natasha Wakelin. Patel was now left with trying to protect her stats and score some more runs rather than trying to win the Brave the game as it was looking impossible. She departed on the second to last ball of the game and Holly Topp was run out first ball to give the Sparks a 20 run victory. The Brave finished on 145/7 with Bezuidenhout top scoring with 41 and Patel contributing 25. Gurrey and Bariball also chipped in with 21 each. Jensen and Ebrahim picked up two wickets each whilst Black got one. Bates was given the deserved Dream 11 Game Changer Award for her 101 with the bat and 0/11 with the ball.