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The Wellington Blaze have kicked off 2025 with a win over the Northern Brave (W) whilst the Brave (M) managed to work their way to victory against the Firebirds.
Northern Brave (W) vs Wellington Blaze:
The Brave found themselves with early success as Australian international Ellyse Perry was dismissed by Marama Downes in the second over for six.
Captain Amelia Kerr was the main leader of the Wellington powerplay with the Blaze putting 39 on the board for the loss of one.
Success came in the over after the powerplay as the Brave, through international Chamari Athapaththu struck to get Rebecca Burns found the hands of Marama Downes for eight.
Leigh Kasperek could only add six to the total before she was run out by some nice fielding by Nensi Patel. The Blaze found themselves in a tricky position at 52/3 halfway through the innings.
The Kerr sisters, Amelia and Jess, showed their true talent throughout the back half of Wellington’s innings with an unbeaten 101 run stand for the fourth wicket.
Both sisters would end up going to fifties with Amelia making her 15th T20 50 for the Blaze and Jess making her maiden T20 50.
The Blaze posted 150/3 from their 20 overs with Downes and Athapaththu being the only wicket takers with one each.
Northern’s batting innings was led by a fast start with Brave captain Jess Watkin and Athapaththu hitting 59 from the powerplay.
Unfortunately for the hosts the last over of the powerplay was marred by Watkin’s dismissal when she was runout by Amelia Kerr and assisted by Xara Jetly for 34.
Amelia Kerr then brought herself into the attack and struck twice in two balls to have the big wicket of Athapaththu for 26 and then Nensi Patel first ball, as she found the hands of Caitlin King in the deep.
Wellington soon found further success through Leigh Kasperek who had built pressure on Caitlin Gurrey and Amanda-Jade Wellington with the ball. Wellington was out for a duck and the Brave had suddenly slipped to 64/4.
Gurrey and usual top order batter Yaz Kareem worked to get their side back into the game but Amelia Kerr wasn’t able to be kept out of the action as Kareem looked to take her on down the ground and instead found the hands of Jess for two.
Young middle order batter Eve Wolland was bowled by Jess Kerr for seven and the Brave found themselves in serious trouble at 84/5.
Gurrey and Samoan international Carol Agafili tried their best to regain some momentum for the hosts in an effort to give them a shot at winning, but once again Kerr couldn’t keep herself out of the game as Gurrey was stumped by Jess McFadyen for 14.
Keeper Holly Topp and Agafili saw Northern through to needing 23 from 11 balls when Topp was out to Kasperek as she tried to find the boundary but instead found Perry’s hands in the deep for six.
12 runs came from Perry’s final over and it meant the Brave needed 10 from the last over.
Downes and Agafili could only manage five off Jetly and the Blaze took a four run win. Agafili made a career best 40 whilst Downes finished on nine.
Amelia Kerr finished with four wickets and Kasperek took two.
Northern Brave (M) vs Wellington Firebirds:
Wellington found themselves in real trouble early on with the bat. They slipped to 4/2 having lost Jesse Tashkoff (4), caught in the deep by Fergus Lellman off Kristian Clarke’s bowling and Tom Blundell out first ball to Neil Wagner.
Captain Nick Kelly and number four Troy Johnson allowed the visitors to get back in the game and they nearly saw off the rest of the powerplay without loss but Johnson was dismissed for 25 by Wagner.
Kelly (15) and Muhammad Abbas (7) couldn’t last much longer at the crease as they both fell to spinner Freddy Walker and the Firebirds found themselves sitting at 63/5 at the halfway mark.
Gareth Severin and Nick Greenwood who only have a few domestic T20 games between them came together at an important time for the visitors and they showed some good shots in the middle.
Greenwood took Brett Hampton for a couple of boundaries in the 14th over but after another tight over by Walker, it left the Brave under pressure.
Severin tried to take on Clarke but instead found the hands of Jeet Raval for 30 and then Logan van Beek was bowled the following ball for a duck.
There was a contentious issue when the umpires asked for a replay of a potential wicket and it was found to have hit the spike of Nick Greenwood, so was given out.
However, after Peter Younghusband voiced concern that the ball had hit the ground before going into the Brave wicket-keeper, Ben Pomare’s hands it was looked at again and reversed to not out.
Greenwood fell not long after for 48, his highest score in the Super Smash with Brett Hampton getting the wicket.
Younghusband struck a quick 23* from 12 and Iain McPeake finished on one not out as the Firebirds posted 160 from their 20 overs.
Katene Clarke and Joe Carter got Northern off to a roaring start with 23 taken from the opening over by Liam Dudding and 23 also taken off McPeake’s first over to leave the Brave at 51/0 after three.
A tight fourth over by Younghusband built some pressure and then this was followed by some good bowling by van Beek to grab the wicket of Clarke for 22 as he edged behind to Blundell.
Lellman, who was making his debut tried to take on Younghusband early on but instead was caught in the deep by Greenwood for four and the Brave looking like they’d lose the early momentum.
After a couple of tight overs by Tashkoff and Abbas, Robbie O’Donnell who was on T20 debut for the Brave tried to take on Greenwood but instead found the bands of van Beek for 14.
There was continued pressure by Wellington’s bowlers as they worked hard to peg the Brave’s batters back and it allowed them to get the big wicket of Joe Carter off Tashkoff’s bowling for 66.
Jeet Raval (14*) and Brett Hampton (25* from just 11 balls) took the Brave to victory by six wickets.
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