Northern Districts pip defending champions Wellington Blaze in a last ball thriller

Chasing a target of 140, Northern Districts started sedately scoring 20 runs from the first four overs. In the fifth over, skipper Brooke Halliday was run out by her opposite number Maddy Green for just seven.

Post Halliday’s dismissal, Kate Anderson and Katie Gurrey put on the 41 runs for the second wicket to take the score to 63 in the 11^th over before Gurrey became the second run out victim of the innings for 13. Eimear Richardson played yet another cameo scoring 17 runs from nine balls before Leigh Kasperek sent her back to the pavilion.

Meanwhile, Anderson brought up her fifty from 46 balls with a couple of boundaries off Kasperek to reduce the target to 47 from 36 balls. But Jess Kerr castled her in the next over to put the Wellington side in the driving seat. Only 15 runs came from those three overs leaving Northern Districts needing 32 runs to win from the last three overs.

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However, Nensi Patel hit Amelia Kerr for two consecutive fours to take 11 runs from the 18^th over bowled by the leg-spinner. 13 runs came in the next over off Thamsyn Newton with Patel smashing another boundary and running a few singles and a couple with Felicity Leydon-Davis.

With eight runs only needing in the last over, it looked like Northern Districts will cruise to victory but seamer Jess gave only three singles from the first three deliveries before running Patel out in the next ball.

Mereana Hyde guided the first ball she faced through point for a four to complete an incredible win for the Northern Districts side.

What a finish! #HappyNewYear2021 indeed!! #SuperSmash pic.twitter.com/JGoTXeBZzY

— Women's CricZone (@WomensCricZone) January 1, 2021

For Blaze, Jess and Kasperek picked one wicket each.

Earlier, opting to bat, Blaze lost Green early with Halliday accounting her for six in the fourth over. They soon lost Rebecca Burns to Leydon-Davis inside the power play with the scorecard reading 38 for 2 in 5.5 overs.

Meanwhile at the other end, Amelia smashed Richardson for consecutive fours and followed it up with another one against Leydon-Davis. When Jessica McFadyen got run out, the Wellington side were struggling at 58 for 3 from 9.4 overs.

Amelia, in the company of Newton, took the score to 98 as the pair put on 40 runs in quick time. Newton played the supporting role as Amelia attacked the Northern Districts bowlers on her way to fifty from 34 deliveries. The New Zealand allrounder was eventually dismissed for 60 from 43 balls. Post her dismissal, a few blows Kasperek (17) and Jess (14) took Blaze to 139 for 7 from their 20 overs.

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Leydon-Davis was the most successful Northern Districts bowler with two wickets to her name.

Brief Scores:

Wellington Blaze 139/7 in 20 overs (Amelia Kerr 60; Felicity Leydon-Davis 2/23) lost to Northern Districts 140/5 in 20 overs (Kate Anderson 50, Nensi Patel 25; Leigh Kasperek 1/20) by five wickets.