Match honours shared

Cricket

Bragging rights were evenly split after the first two series of national competition women's cricket matches were played between Central Hinds and Auckland Hearts at Queen Elizabeth Park oval, Masterton, on Friday and Saturday.

The Twenty20 fixture on Friday was reduced to 16 overs apiece because of inclement weather and it produced a thrilling finish with the Hinds eventually taking the honours by a solitary run.

The 50-overs match on Saturday also kept a good-sized crowd on their toes with Hinds always seeming to be at least 30 runs short of a winning total when they elected to bat first and made 153.

However, Hearts were fluttering when their fifth wicket fell with only 66 runs on the board but some sensible batting put them back on track and they reached their target with two wickets and 5.5 overs to spare.

It was White Fern Sara McGlashan who took the Hinds innings by the scruff of the neck in the Twenty20 game. She made 44 off 29 balls, including three fours, and the next highest contributor in a score of 92-6 was opener Sonya Thompson with 17. Bowling for Hearts, Georgia Guy took 2-23 and Regina Lili'i 2-17.

Hearts were on the back foot after losing a couple of early wickets and they went into the last over needing 14 runs for the win. And they made a decent attempt at it, coming up with 12 to fall just one run short of a tie. Their top scorers were Maddy Green, 24 off 26 balls, Victoria Lind, 21 off 19 balls, and Holly Huddleston, 19 not out.

Sonya Thompson completed a sound all-round effort for Hinds by taking 3-119 off her three overs and Sandee Hui took 2-12.

Another of the Hinds's White Ferns in wicketkeeper and captain Rachel Priest shone with the bat in the 50-overs encounter. Her 56 came off 81 balls and included four fours. Thompson (18) and Hui (16) were the best of the rest while former Wairarapa player Eimear Richardson made 8. She opened the innings and showed commendable patience in being at the crease for 48 minutes and facing 38 balls.

The most successful of the Hearts bowlers were Lili'i with 3-27 and Lauren Down with 2-28.

A 78-run sixth-wicket stand between opener Lind and Huddleston saved the Hearts' bacon after they found themselves precariously placed at 66-5 in reply. Lind made 67 in 153 minutes off 101 balls and struck six fours while Huddleston was 41 not out.

Palmerston North Girls' High opening bowler Hannah Rowe claimed 3-27 for Hinds off 9.1 overs and Maneka Singh took 3-25. Richardson, in a couple of overs, finished with 1-15.