.png)
Kiwi Cricket Kōrero host and writer Vincent Jones on the second match of the Women’s Super Smash 2022–23 season (originally written 25/12/22)
Wellington Blaze vs Otago Sparks
Toss: Wellington won the toss and chose to bat
Wellington: Thamsyn Newton, Georgia Plimmer, Rebecca Burns, Amelia Kerr, Maddy Green, Jess Kerr, Leigh Kasperek, Jessica McFadyen, Caitlin King, Xara Jetly, Maneka Singh
Otago Sparks: Suzie Bates, Olivia Gain, Polly Inglis, Kate Ebrahim, Caitlin Blakely, Felicity Leydon-Davis, Isabella James, Eden Carson, Emma Black, Sophie Oldershaw, Molly Loe
First Innings: New Wellington Blaze captain, Amelia Kerr won the toss and decided that her side would bat first. Thamsyn Newton and Georgia Plimmer opened for the home side and they got off to a fast start, scoring 15 runs in the first two overs. Newton and Plimmer were starting to put more pressure on the visitors before Emma Black struck, removing Plimmer for 4. The Sparks decided to bring on a spinner from the other end and on the first ball of Eden Carson’s spell she struck, removing Newton caught behind by Polly Inglis for 13. Melie Kerr and Rebecca Burns started to build together a quality partnership for the Blaze to bring them to 42/2 after the powerplay. Otago captain, Suzie Bates knew she would have to do something to stop these two, and did that by bringing herself on to bowl. The first ball of her over went for four, showing Burns was wanting to attack her, Bates knew this and Burns missed the next ball as she trotted down the crease, and was stumped by Inglis. Former captain, Maddy Green, joined Kerr at the crease and both batters were looking to score to get the game moving. The 50 partnership between Kerr and Green was bought up from 48 balls. Emma Black was bought back into the attack and was able to suddenly stop the scoring rate, removing the dangerous Melie Kerr for 46, and her sister, Jess Kerr, next ball for 0. With three overs to go and the score looking like it would be heading in the 125–130 scoreline, Maddy Green knew with all her experience that it would need to be more than that. Green was able to attack in the last over, along with Leigh Kasperek to take the 17 runs from Kate Ebrahim’s over and lift the score to 146/5. Melie Kerr was the top scorer with 46 and Green contributed 45. Black took three wickets, whilst Carson and Bates both got one.
Second Innings: Suzie Bates and Olivia Gain were given the job of opening for the Sparks in pursuit of 147 runs for victory. It was also a relatively fast start for the Sparks, with 18 runs coming from the first two overs before Leigh Kasperek removed Olivia Gain for 8. This over bowled by Kasperek also happened to be a maiden over. The runs from here weren’t able to flow as fast as the Sparks would have liked and this was shown as Inglis was stumped by Jess McFadyen, giving Kasperek her second of the game. The most experienced players in the Sparks team were now at the crease and one of them was going to need to try and improve the current scoring rate of just over 5 an over, if the Sparks were going to have any chance of winning. As the partnership was going towards 50, it was broken by Jess Kerr who got the very important wicket of Suzie Bates. Ebrahim and Blakely were going to be left with too big of a job to try and get the runs, but the loss of Ebrahim helped to pile more pressure on the Spark’s shoulders. Felicity Leydon-Davis in her first game for the Sparks came and went for one. Some clinical death hitting from Bella James, gave the Sparks a little glimmer of hope. Once Xara Jetly removed James the game was well over with the Sparks needing a total of 28 runs to win from the last over. Jess Kerr stepped up to bowl this over, being hit for four first ball. She responded by removing fellow White Fern, Carson. Caitlin Blakely was the last to go on the final ball of the match being stumped by Jessica McFadyen. Kate Ebrahim top scored for the Sparks with 37, whilst Bates contributed 31. Jess Kerr and Leigh Kasperek both got three wickets and Jetly and Melie Kerr both got one each. Melie Kerr was given the Dream 11 Game Changer award for her 46 and one wicket.
Comentarios