CD Hinds v Otago Sparks
T20 cricket
McLean Park, Napier
If anyone had a handicap to lose it was the Otago Sparks but instead the visitors walloped the Central Districts Hinds by nine wickets in Napier yesterday.
The visitors' flight from Christchurch to Napier was delayed, meaning the Suzie Bates-captained team arrived here five minutes after the start time of 2pm.
"We arrived at the airport at quarter past 6 in the morning but the Auckland weather has caused some problems so we couldn't get to Christchurch until 8am," Bates said, adding they thought the game was starting at 2.30pm.
However, the game didn't begin until 3pm and was shortened to an 18-over affair because of the domestic men's HRV Cup match starting at 7pm.
CD captain Rachel Priest won the toss and padded up to muster 101-4 with opener Sara McGlashan top-scoring with 30 (35 balls) and No3 Kate Broadmore adding 28 (33).
New Zealand captain Bates was pleased with Otago's bowling to stifle CD who had No 4 Eimear Richardson 11 not out from 16 balls and No 6 Kelly Rangi, again looking at ease since dropping from opening, unbeaten on 10 (7).
Rangi and Richardson showed some intensity in running between the wickets to put pressure on the fielders on a boundary that was about 5m inside the men's one.
"After the first over I knew it was a very good batting deck with a fast outfield so I thought anything under sixes I was going to be happy," Bates said as she carved up 34 not out from 33 balls, while veteran opener Sarah Tsukigawa was unbeaten on 66 (47), bringing the game to an end with a don't-argue four.
"We weren't put under much pressure on the scoreboard so I think Katey Martin was pushing her luck and got a bit carried away," she said of the other opener who was out on the first ball of their innings to bowler Abby Burrows, with T20 debutant Sarah Cowan taking an outstanding catch at long on in swirling winds.
However, CD bowlers into the wind, predominantly youngsters barring Broadmore, struggled to find consistent line and length.
It didn't help that Broadmore hobbled off with a knee injury after two overs.
Sandee Hui's bowling nightmare continued, conceding 17 runs from one just over with the oblique wind behind her, matched only by debutant Cowan, questioning the logic of risking eroding the teenager's confidence at the domestic level after she scored nine runs from 57 balls as an opener against the Auckland Hearts in last Sunday's batting/bowling debut.
Contrary to Bates, Priest didn't think the swirling wind was that much of an issue that should have affected the bowlers but she lamented not making enough runs.
"We got that first wicket and then thought we're in but it just didn't happen," said the recalled White Fern.
"It was a great wicket, great outfield and great everything, so, yes, it's disappointing."
On the bright side, she expected Broadmore to be okay for today's and tomorrow's one-day matches at Cornwall Park, Hastings, from 10am to redeem themselves in the the third round of competition.
CD HINDS v OTAGO SPARKS
From the rd 3 Action Sports T20 match at McLean Park, Napier, yesterday:
Toss: CD, batted.
CD Hinds
R Priest c V Abbott b S Bates 10
S McGlashan c S Osborne b R Henderson 30
K Broadmore c E Campbell b Henderson 28
E Richardson not out 11
S Thompson c S Tsukigawa b E Campbell 6
K Rangi not out 10
Extras (0b, 1Lb, 5w, 0nb): 6
Total (4 wkts, 18 overs): 101
Fall: 1-14 (Priest, 2.2), 2-71 (McGlashan, 12.2), 3-73 (Broadmore, 12.6), 4-87 (Thompson, 16.1).
Bowling: S Bates 4-0-22-1 (1w), E Campbell 4-0-16-1 (1w), V Abbott 3-0-17-0, S Tsukigawa 4-0-14-0, S Osborne 1-0-14-0 (1w), R Henderson 2-0-17-2 (2w).
Otago Sparks
(target 102 runs from 18 overs)
K Martin c S Cowan b A Burrows 0
S Tsukigawa not out 66
S Bates not out 34
Extras (0b, 0Lb, 3w, 2nb): 5
Total (1 wkt, 13.1 overs): 105
Fall: 1-0 (Martin, 0.1).
Bowling: A Burrows 2.1-0-10-1, K Broadmore 2-0-11-0, S Thompson 2-0-13-0, M Singh 2-0-13-0 (1w), E Richardson 1-0-8-0, K Baxter 2-0-16-0, S Hui 1-0-17-0 (2w, 2nb), S Cowan 1-0-17-0.
12th men: M Heal (CD), R Chittick (Otago).
Result: Sparks won by 9 wkts.