Australia international Hannah Darlington had 24 hours to prepare for crossing the Tasman and joining the Wellington Blaze.
The allrounder then ended a whirlwind week by inspiring her new side to a sixth Super Smash title in eight years.
Darlington top-scored with the bat and grabbed 4-16 with the ballas Wellington earned an eight-run win over Otago at the Basin Reserve on Sunday, confirming their status as the most dominant team in New Zealand cricket.
Like in last year’s final – when they defended 89 to edge the Central Hinds – Wellington had their bowlers to thank for protecting a total of 104-8 that had seemed on the small side. Unlike last year, an attack led by the Kerr sisters was lifted by a new recruit.
The 23-year-old made her debut on Monday, played for first match at the Basin Reserve on Thursday, and helped Wellington book their final berth by taking 2-19 in an elimination-final win over Northern on Saturday.
Then, in her fourth game for the side, she made her week-long stay in New Zealand one to remember.
“I didn’t have much notice – I had about 24 hours before I knew I was joining the Blaze – and they’ve welcomed me in,” Darlington told TVNZ. “They’ve housed me, they’ve flown me around the country, they’ve been an outstanding bunch, and it feels like a team that would do that for any player. So it’s nice to be a part of.”
Darlington, who played four white-ball matches for Australia in 2021, joined captain Amelia Kerr in the middle after opener Rebecca Burns had been run out without facing.
“I wasn’t expecting to be out there second ball, but to bat with Melie and the way she keeps it calm out there, it was pretty easy to understand what my role was.”
The second-wicket pair put on 40 before Kerr holed out, while Darlington progressed to 26 from 34 balls to give the Blaze something to defend. And that defence was on track from the moment Suzie Bates became Darlington’s first victim in the fourth over, joining Kerr (2-15) in building an intolerable level of pressure.
“That was exceptional,” Kerr said. “To go out there and defend another low total, it just speaks volumes about the character of this group. We believe and we stay in the fight, and that’s what I’m most proud of.”
Hannah Darlington celebrates the wicket of Suzie Bates. Photo / Getty Images
The Central Stags then produced a performance to be proud of in the men’s final, easing past a Canterbury side boasting an all-international attack.
After Matt Henry (2-2), Kyle Jamieson (3-19) and Will O’Rourke (1-32) had shut down Northern in Saturday’s elimination final, the Black Caps seamers were unable to prevent Canterbury from falling to a fifth straight Super Smash final defeat.
Central claimed their first title since 2019 by chasing down a target of 136 with six wickets and 17 balls to spare, as Will Young (35 off 32) and Dane Cleaver (43 off 34) found run-scoring much easier than their opponents.
Canterbury’s 135-8 owed much to Daryl Mitchell’s final innings before heading to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. The Black Cap came to the crease with his side on 14-2 after three overs and batted into the 17th, top-scoring with 46 from 38 balls.
The runs rarely flowed throughout an innings controlled by the top qualifiers’ bowlers, with 21-year-old Toby Findlay (3-29) removing Mitchell and preventing any late charge.
Despite Jamieson (2-24) impressing as he continued his rehabilitation from a back injury, Canterbury were unable to break a T20 title drought that extended to 19 seasons.
