Despite being sent in after rain had delayed the toss, Blaze were off to a bright start with the bat in the round two clash of the titans at the Basin. The remainder of the match would not prove so easy.
ONE-DAY ROUND TWO — Wellington Blaze 202 all out in 47.2 overs (Sophie Devine 39, Liz Perry 61; Lea Tahuhu 3-36) lost to Canterbury Magicians 206/3 in 47.1 overs (Amy Satterthwaite 81, Frances Mackay 79 not out) by seven wickets at the Basin Reserve on 27 November 2016
Scorecard
The hosts had got underway with a flurry of boundaries — until the Mags’ Hayley Jensen quickly fought back with a double strike in her second over and rapidly changed the tone of the innings.
From 22/2 after just two overs, Blaze were 44/2 at 10 as Sophie Devine and Eimear Richardson settled. By drinks, Devine had helped herself to a six off a loose loop from Erin Bermingham to be unbeaten on 37. Well poised, the number four had lost Richardson but gained Liz Perry for a fourth-wicket stand that reached 39 runs.
Perry would go on to produce a captain’s knock of 61 off 83 balls before she became the eighth wicket to fall. Causing her side probems in the interim had been the Magicians’ WHITE FERNS pace duo of Lea Tahuhu and Thamsyn Newton — Newton having caught the bottom edge of Richardson (22) as she played on, and later getting a nick behind to send Jess McFadyen back to the Vance Stand.
A tough single, and sharp throw from Frances Mackay then saw Amelia Kerr run out, Jess Kerr replacing her younger sister at the crease to help Perry though to a half-century off 68 balls, the pair putting on 50 together before Tahuhu struck again to make it 173/7 in the 41st over, trapping Kerr on 25.
Tahuhu was particularly relishing the Basin conditions, and took the big wickets of Devine (yorked on 39) and Perry (caught off a well-angled short delivery) as well for a haul of 3-36 — Blaze all out in the 48th over for 202 after Amy Satterthwaite mopped it up with two tailend strikes.
50 runs up without loss @AmySatterthwait & @FrankieMac71 getting the job done. #MagsvBlaze @Wgtn_Blaze @BasinReserve pic.twitter.com/Cu7CeoKYYd
— Canterbury Cricket (@CanterburyCrick) November 27, 2016
Unfortunately for the hosts, Magicians openers Satterthwaite and Mackay weren’t about to be pressured, Satterthwaite’s exquisite timing on display as she reached her half century off 78 balls in the 23rd over — Perry having scrolled through her bowling options without a breakthrough.
Satterthwaite would reach 81 from 11 balls (nine boundaries) before she was finally caught off Devine in the 31st over, by which time the Magicians needed just a further 67 runs from their remaining order.
There was a sniff of encouragement for the Blaze as Kate Broadmore was promptly run out, Newton following soon after; but Mackay, meanwhile, had kept anyone square of the wicket busy, and had already punched up her own half-century in the off 87 balls.
She would carry her bat for an unbeaten 79 as the Magicians made it two from two at the Basin, finding the winning runs in the 48th over.
@FrankieMac71 does the job again. Good 7 wicket win for the Magicians. @Wgtn_Blaze #MagsvBlaze #2from2 pic.twitter.com/miE0arCTNM
— Canterbury Cricket (@CanterburyCrick) November 27, 2016
The win placed the Magicians as the early leaders on the One-Day points table with nine points after the weather-affected opening weekend, including a bonus point from their Round One effort. Suzie Bates's Otago Sparks are the only other undefeated side with one bonus point win and a washout placing them on seven points.
Rounds three and four will take place in Auckland (Melville Park), Whangarei (Cobham Oval) and Alexandra (Molyneux Park) over the first weekend of December.
