Devine, Kerr star in Blaze's big win; Mackay, Sullivan help Magicians extend their lead in HBJ Shield

Opting to bowl, Blaze got off to a good start with Maneka Singh castling both Sparks openers Hayley Jensen and Bella James to reduce them to 42 for 2. Caitlin Blakely scored 26 before Kerr dismissed her and Polly Inglis in quick succession.

From there, Kasperek wiped out the lower order with four quick wickets even as Katey Martin scored a stroke-filled 70 at the other end. A 25-run knock from Eden Carson, at number 10, took Sparks to 180 as they were bowled in 47.2 overs.

For Blaze, Kasperek finished with figures of 4 for 28, while Kerr, Singh and Xara Jetly picked up two wickets each.

Chasing 181 to win, Devine went after the bowling right from the start and put on a 52-run partnership with Jessica McFadyen for the opening wicket. One McFadyen was dismissed by Jensen, Devine and Kerr continued the aggressive streak and didn’t let any of the Sparks bowlers to settle. The New Zealand skipper brought up her fifty from 31 balls.

ALSO READ: Marauding Lizelle Lee takes South Africa home in a rain-hit thriller

Post fifty, Devine upped the ante more and was eventually dismissed for 97 from 54 balls. Maddy Green and Kerr knocked of the remaining runs as Kerr brought up her seventh List A fifty and the winning run with back-to-back boundaries in the 24^th over.

Over in Pukekura Park in New Plymouth, Northern Spirit eased to an eight-wicket win against Central Hinds to register their fifth win of the season. Skipper Brooke Halliday led the chase with a 59-run knock while Kate Anderson remained not out on 47.

Earlier, having elected to bowl, Spirit bowled Hinds out for 176 in 49.1 overs with Shriya Naidu, Makayla Templeton and Halliday taking two wickets each. For Hinds, only Kerry-Anne Tomlinson offered some resistance scoring 57 even as wickets fell from the other end. She took Hinds to 131 from 68 for 6 with a 63-run partnership with Georgia Atkinson, who scored 31.

Elsewhere, Canterbury Magicians registered a 24-run win against Auckland Hearts at the Eden Park Outer Oval in Auckland, courtesy of Frances Mackay’s 75 and Gabby Sullivan’s career-best List A figures of 4 for 51, while Anna Peterson’s third List A five-wicket haul went in vain.

ALSO READ: The irrational belief that fuelled Canterbury's magical win

Having chose to bat, Mackay and Kate Ebrahim put on 63 run opening partnership for the Canterbury side. When Ebrahim and Amy Satterthwaite fell in quick succession to young Fran Jonas, Mackay and Natalie Cox added 81 runs for the third wicket.

Once Mackay was dismissed by Bella Armstrong for 75 and Cox fell soon after, Magicians suffered a collapse with Peterson accounting for last five wickets and were eventually bowled out for 204 in 48.1 overs.

In reply, Hearts were reduced to 97 for 5 with Sullivan striking early to remove skipper Lauren Down and Arlene Kelly. For the sixth wicket, Katie Perkins and Regina Lili'I added 54 runs and took the Auckland side past 150 keeping their hopes alive.

However, after Satterthwaite dismissed Lili'I for 23, Sullivan came back to take two more wickets in consecutive overs to leave Hearts reeling at 159 for 8. Even as Perkins tried valiantly with a patient 69-run knock, it wasn’t enough and she was the last wicket to fall when Hearts were skittled out for 180 in the 46^th over.

For Magicians, Sullivan finished with figures of 4 for 51 and Satterthwaite bowled frugal ten overs giving away only 24 runs while accounting for two wickets.


Brief Scores:

Otago Sparks 180/10 in 47.2 overs (Katey Martin 70, Caitlin Blakely 26; Leigh Kasperek 4/28) lost to Wellington Blaze 183/2 in 23.4 overs (Sophie Devine 97, Amelia Kerr 54*) by eight wickets.

Central Hinds 176/10 in 49.1 overs (Kerry-Anne Tomlinson 57; Brooke Halliday 2/23) lost to Northern Spirit 177/2 in 34.2 overs (Brooke Halliday 57, Kate Anderson 47*) by eight wickets.

Canterbury Magicians 204/10 in 48.1 overs (Frances Mackay 75, Natalie Cox 52; Anna Peterson 5/31) beat Auckland Hearts 180/10 in 45.1 overs (Katie Perkins 69; Gabby Sullivan 4/51, Amy Satterthwaite 2/24) by 24 runs.