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The Otago Sparks have won their first game of the Super Smash season whilst rain ruined the Men’s game.
Otago Sparks vs Auckland Hearts:
Otago has taken victory against Auckland in Alexandra off the back of a strong performance with the ball followed up by contributions in the batting order to take the win.
Saachi Shahri (10) and Izzy Gaze (19) allowed the visitors to build some early pressure with the bat but when they fell within the space of an over to each other to the spin twins of Eden Carson and Kirstie Gordon respectively, it got Otago into the game.
There was a level of fightback led by the experience of Maddy Green and Brooke Halliday who put on a 35-run stand.
The wicket of Halliday came at an important time for Otago with Felicity Robertson dismissing her for 22 from 19.
Wickets kept falling for Auckland as they went from 80/3 to 85/6 with Carson and Emma Black grabbing the three wickets between them, including the important one of Green for 21.
Lauren Down contributed 14 but fell with two balls left in the innings.
Auckland made their way through to 110/8 with Molly Penfold finishing on 10* and Bree Illing on one not out.
Carson took three wickets and Gordon got two.
An early strike for Auckland with the ball by White Fern Fran Jonas in the third over as she got Suzie Bates for eight.
Bella James played a counter-attacking innings of 20 from 12 but it was cut short by Jonas in the last over of the powerplay.
Auckland rotated between their bowlers as they tried to find continued breakthroughs with captain Green grabbing Robertson for 19 and still 45 runs were required for the hosts.
A steady 46-run unbeaten stand between Caitlin Blakely (21*) and Polly Inglis (29*) saw the Sparks to a comfortable seven-wicket win with just under five overs spare.
Otago will face Central next at Molyneux Park on Tuesday whilst Auckland’s next game is on January third against Canterbury.
Otago Volts vs Auckland Aces:
Max Chu won the toss for the Volts and elected to bowl in a cloudy Alexandra after winning vs the Kings on Friday.
Andrew Hazeldine took two wickets in the same over by getting Will O'Donnell out caught behind and Michael Schlanders by ramping it into his leg stump, both went for one.
Then a bout of rain came which reduced the match to a 17-over match.
It took two overs for another wicket to fall with Sean Solia going for a run a ball 20 being caught in the deep of Foxcroft at ¾ deep square. It took another two for star Martin Guptill to fall for 31 getting caught out at cow corner by Dale Phillips.
Cam Fletcher went quick going for six trying to hit Foxcroft over cow corner, getting caught by Dale Phillips once again in the deep. Sid Dixit on debut was next to go trying to sweep Lockrose getting trapped out in front for seven.
Jock McKenzie couldn’t hold himself off and he also went to cow corner off Mason Clarke’s bowling, he went for 16 and the Aces were 85/7 after 12.2 overs.
It didn’t take long for Simon Keene to get out of being stumped even after Max Chu dropped the ball going for only two runs.
Ashok went soon after top-edging a slower ball when he went for the sweep. He scored seven after top-edging it straight to Mason Clarke at third man.
Danru Ferns was bowled for 10 by Bacon and this left the Aces with just 106 all out in 16.1 overs.
Dale Phillips and Jamal Todd went out and bashed 26 off 1.5 overs however, the rain won and the game was abandoned.
The Volts only have another day for a break when they vs the Stags on Tuesday back at Molyneux Park. The Aces will have a break till Friday next week when they vs the Kings at the Eden Park Outer Oval.
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