2020/21
ROUND FIVE
Auckland Hearts beat Northern Districts by 12 runs
Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland
19 December 2020
50 up = thumbs up for Anna Peterson | PHOTOSPORT
Northern Districts' women will be wondering just what they have to do to get the better of Hallyburton rivals the Hearts.
In Anna Peterson's 50th Hallyburton Johnstone Shield match for the Hearts, the WHITE FERN was left trying to shore up the Hearts' innings, after having been sent in on her own turf in the first big rematch of last summer's Grand Final.
The Hearts had trumped ND on that occasion in a high-scoring match, but the northerners had proven they were no team to be trifled with - and today, after winning the toss at Outer Oval, they quickly got on top in this fifth-round battle of the northern neighbours.
Two big wickets fell inside the first five overs when captain Lauren Down was caught off Kayley Knight and Arlene Kelly bowled by Lucy Boucher, both for single figure scores.
Peterson tried to steady the ship with Katie Perkins (below), and the two veterans put on 51 for the third wicket with some positive play.
Peterson reached 32 before she, too, was back in the sheds in the 16th over, and Bella Armstrong's cheap dismissal soon after really had the defending champions in a pickle.
Perkins top-scored with a fairly lonely 45 as the Hearts once again looked like they were having a day to forget in their erratic start to the season, as ND's Lauren Heaps (below, taking a return catch off her bowling) pocketed a career-best 4/34.
So far, so all ND.
Chasing 138 on Outer Oval, the visitors would have been confident as Katie Gurrey and Brooke Halliday (34) began their work on the chase before lunch.
ND required just a further 101 off 40 overs after the break, although they were one down with Gurrey a big wicket for young spinner Fran Jonas at 38/1.
The Hearts kept fighting after lunch with wickets to Peterson, Armstrong, Kelly and Jesse Prasad to have ND 99/5 midway through their 50 overs, still needing 40 runs.
When Jonas had Kate Anderson (33) stumped soon after, it was game on.
101/6 became 104/7 when Jonas snared her third in Makayla Templeton, Molly Penfold taking the grab at square leg.
ND still needed 22 runs off 18.1 overs when the eighth wicket toppled: Jonas had four.
Fellow spinner Peterson then got back in the act with her second in Olivia Lobb, bowled around her legs to put ND nine down in the 35th and still needing 19 to win.
A desperate battle between bat and ball ensued, six overs passing without a wicket as the final ND pair eked out six more for the scorecard. But then Prasad struck again, and a tight win was sealed albeit with almost nine overs to spare.
