Rowe's 50 Goes in Vain as Brave just get home - Vincent Jones

Kiwi Cricket Kōrero host and writer Vincent Jones writes on the Central Hinds vs Northern Brave Women’s Super Smash 2022–23 fixture (originally written 3/1/23)

Toss: Central Hinds won the toss and elected to bowl

Central Hinds: Nat Dodd, Georgia Atkinson, Jess Watkin, Mikaela Greig, Kerry Tomlinson, Hannah Rowe, Rosemary Mair, Flora Devonshire, Ocean Bartlett, Claudia Green, Melissa Hansen

Northern Brave: Eimear Richardson, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Lucy Boucher, Sam Barriball, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Natasha Wakelin, Carol Agafaili, Holly Topp, Phoebe Graham, Kayley Knight

First Innings: Eimear Richardson opened the batting with Bernadine Bezuidenhout and they set about trying to set a good total in New Plymouth. The Brave got off to a great start in the first over, taking Claudia Green for 10 runs, with a boundary coming from both batters. The Brave was showing aggression early, cruising to 24/0 after the first three overs, and it looked like they were starting to build a steady partnership. Hannah Rowe had the first game breakthrough, taking Richardson’s wicket for 12. Lucy Boucher was next to the crease but was soon dismissed by Green for 2, with Ocean Bartlett taking the catch. Bezuidenhout went in the next over with Nat Dodd, in her 100th T20 taking the catch and Rowe picking up her second of the game. The Brave at the end of the powerplay was massively struggling on 28/3. Nensi Patel was then out in the seventh over as she tried to play a big shot off Green’s bowling but ended up being caught in the outfield by Rowe. Ex-White Fern, Sam Barriball and Amanda-Jade Wellington were going to have to build a healthy partnership if the Brave were going to put up a competitive total. After a couple of tight overs following the loss of the wickets, the Brave started to put some pressure on the Hinds bowling attack, taking eight of a Jess Watkin over and then 12 and 15 from Rosemary Mair and Bartlett over respectively. The Hinds were starting to apply the breaks with Mel Hansen bowling a tight over and only conceding two runs. Mair was able to stop the scoring rate with the removal of Wellington for a quick 34 from only 26 balls. Tash Wakelin was only able to last a couple of overs but did manage to score a run a ball 14 before Green bowled her. Barriball was showing signs of intent with taking the next over, bowled by Watkin for 15, including a six. Unforentley for the Brave, she wasn’t able to last till the end of the innings as Hansen picked her up, LBW for 50 from 36 balls. Carol Agafili, on debut, and Phoebe Graham took eight runs from the last over to bring the total to 146/8. Barriball top scored with 50 and Wellington added 34 with the bat. Green took three wickets, Rowe two and then one for both Hansen and Mair.

Second Innings: Dodd and Atkinson had the duty of opening up for the Hinds, but the innings didn’t last long for Dodd as Boucher bowled her for three. Watkin came out to the crease with some real intent, looking to knock off a few early runs. She hit Patel for two fours, Boucher for one, and Kayley Knight for two fours before the experienced Phoebe Graham got her via a superb catch from Bezuidenhout for 23. Mikaela Greig came to the crease next, but quickly was walking back for one as she edged off to Holly Topp and gave Knight her first wicket of the game. Kerry Tomlinson came to the middle with a bit of work to do and helped to rotate the strike with Atkinson. Whilst too many boundaries weren’t being scored, they were still looking to get ones and twos of most delivers. Wellington was taking for 15 runs from her first over but responded nicely in her second getting out Tomlinson LBW. The Hinds now sitting at 69/4, needing a further 78 from the last nine and a bit overs. Atkinson and Rowe both started to once again build a good partnership for the Hinds, but both batters were not still able to find the boundary. Once Atkinson had bought up her highest Super Smash score, she skied one to the hands for Patel and the Brave had a major breakthrough as she went for 38. Mair came and went as she was caught by Knight off Graham’s bowling for two. It was looking like all the pressure would be on Rowe to try and get the Hinds over the line and she did take some of the pressure off by smashing Richardson for two sixes in three balls. Devonshire and Bartlett both went in consecutive balls with Wellington getting Devonshire for 2, caught by Bezuidenhout and Bartlett for a golden, caught by Patel. The Hinds needed 16 from the last over to take the win in New Plymouth, but were only able to manage three twos and a wide from the first three legitimate balls of the over. Nine were needed from the last three balls, with Green being run out by Patel/Knight for one. With 9 needed from two, Rowe had to find the boundary and did exactly that, the four also bringing up her first Super Smash 50. Rowe had to have a big swing at it on the last ball but unfortunately missed and was bowled by Knight for 50, giving the Brave a four-run victory. Sam Barriball was awarded the Dream 11 Game Changer for her 50. Rowe contributed 50 runs for the Hinds and Atkinson got 38. Wellington got three wickets, while Knight and Graham both got two. Boucher and Richardson also got one wicket each.

Result: Northern Brave won by four runs.