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Both Auckland sides picked up important victories over the Canterbury sides in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Auckland Hearts vs Canterbury Magicians:
The Auckland Hearts have picked up their first win of the season led by Lauren Down’s middle order saving effort with the bat of 47* and followed up a solid all performance with the ball by the Hearts bowlers.
Some tight bowling by Canteerbury had them in trouble early on with three wickets inside the first six overs as Shikha Pandey had Saachi Shahri and Izzy Gaze both on their way for one each.
Hearts captain Maddy Green failed to get going after hitting two fours off Missy Banks in the third over. Gabby Sullivan was brought into the attack and struck with a beautiful ball that had Green on her way for 11.
It was up to Brooke Halliday and Down to build a partnership with the Hearts sitting at 14/3 when they came together.
After a couple of overs rebuilding, both batters started to get going into their innings with spinners Maddie Penna and Sarah Asmussen taking some tap.
Banks came back into the attack after Penna and Asmussen had conceded 31 from the three previous overs and got Halliday to edge behind to keeper Laura Hughes for 28.
Prue Catton was never really able to get going during her innings and she tried to take Kate Ebrahim on down the ground, however, found Banks’ founds for two.
Canterbury were gaining momentum right throughout their innings with some tight overs and Josie Penfold could only muster seven before becoming Ebrahim’s second wicket of the day.
Some lower order hitting by Molly Penfold allowed her to strike a quick 13 from nine as the Hearts made their way to 122/7.
Rain during the innings break meant an over was lost and the target reduced to 119 from 19 overs.
Kate Anderson and Jodie Dean got Canterbury off to a steady start as they tried to keep in touch with the run rate during the first overs of the powerplay.
A tight fourth over by White Ferns spinner Fran Jonas included the wicket of Dean for a run a ball 12 as she looked to take her on but instead found Brooke Halliday in the deep.
Australian international, Maddie Penna showed her skills as she whacked a 15 run seventh over off Josie Penfold, however was stumped off Jonas the next over for 17.
Izzy Sharp couldn’t get going, being trapped leg before to Bree Illing for four from three balls.
Anderson and Ebrahim were careful but took their chances in their stand in the middle together but Canterbury were struggling some overs to stay ahead of the run rate and they needed to get going.
Ebrahim ultimately perished as she was run out by Penfold and the bails taken off by Gaze for 19.
Nat Cox nor Pandey did much to alter the score for the visitors contributing just two and six respectively as the Hearts started to put one hand on the victory.
With 15 required from the last over, the Magicians soon got it down to 9 from the last three but Anderson’s wicket on the penultimate ball to Halliday left Canterbury falling seven runs short.
Auckland Aces vs Canterbury Kings:
The Aces have picked up their first victory of the Super Smash after an abandonment and no result had caused them to have limited game time.
Former Blackcaps opener Martin Guptill turned the clock back and showed why he is still playing the game, striking a 35 ball 60 at the top. He worked well alongside fellow opener Will O’Donnell who made 25 before falling to Angus McKenzie.
Youngster Michael Sclanders made a two ball duck with only the bowler, Henry Shipley showing any interest in appealing the wicket. Shipley had a second three balls later when he got Aces captain Sean Solia for one.
Bevon-John Jacobs who was on T20 debut for Auckland and Guptill showed their skills in the middle together as they combined 59 run fourth wicket stand.
Guptill made his 50 from 31 balls but departed not long after to Shipley in the 13th over.
The Auckland middle order tried to contribute and feed the strike to Jacobs who brought up his 50 from 31 balls but there was a late flurry of wickets for the Aces.
Cam Fletcher (13) and Jock McKenzie (14) showed support to Jacobs whilst Sid Dixit (3), Adi Ashok (8*), and Danru Ferns (1*) got Auckland through to 185/8.
Shipley picked up his fifth wicket of the day when he bowled McKenzie but earlier in the over grabbed the big wicket of Jacobs for 53.
Angus McKenzie picked up two wickets, even if he did get smashed for a six into Eden Park by his brother, Jock.
A great start by the Canterbury openers of Chad Bowes (56) and Tom Latham (56) allowed the Kings to get going early.
There was a delay just after the powerplay when Latham sent a ball to the outfield and the two fielders of Ben Lister and Sid Dixit collided in the field. Both had to go off injured with the cameras showing them in the dugout in slings later on in the match.
Canterbury couldn’t quite build another solid stand after Bowes’ wicket to Ashok which was accompanied by O’Donnell getting Cole McConchie stumped for two and Ashok having the wicket of Harry Chamberlain for six.
Latham and Matt Boyle started to get the visitors into a winnable position and the Aces bowlers couldn’t break the stand until Jock McKenzie had Latham caught by Simon Keene.
Michael Rippon’s wicket in the 18th over led to the downfall of the Canterbury side as they lost six wickets for nine runs.
Boyle went on the attack and this led to his demise for 37 as he tried once too many, caught in the outfield by Jacobs for 37.
Some skillful bowling by Ferns left him with three wickets in the penultimate over, turning the game on its head.
He had Kyle Jamieson first, caught by O’Donnell for two and then the wicket of Shipley was accompanied with a stunning diving catch by Jacobs in the outfield.
This was followed up by a Keene getting McKenzie caught on the boundary, keeping himself just inside the rope.
Ish Sodhi who was on strike for the first ball of the final over with 14 required for the win, tried to take on Jock McKenzie but was caught in the outfield by Jacobs to wrap up a 14 run win for the hosts.
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