2023/24 HALLYBURTON JOHNSTONE SHIELD
Round 3
Saturday, 25 November 2023
Seddon Park, Hamilton
NORTHERN DISTRICTS lost to WELLINGTON BLAZE by 145 runs
Wellington Blaze: 5 points
Images | PHOTOSPORT
Selected Milestones
First day/night Hallyburton Johnstone Shield fixture
Day/nighter history at Seddon | All images PHOTOSPORT
Jesse Prasad - List A debut for Northern Districts (previously Auckland Hearts)
Georgia Plimmer - maiden century, career best score (147)
Gerogia Plimmer and Leigh Kasperek - new third wicket and all wickets record for Wellington Blaze (222)
By Georgia, what a knock from a 19-year-old playing in her first Hallyburton Johstone Shield day/nighter.
Northern Districts was hosting the history-making night match in Hamilton, but Wellington Blaze stole the show - thanks to Georgia Plimmer's maiden 147 with brilliant support from captain Leigh Kasperek (89) in a new Blaze all wickets partnership record of 222.
Their epic double century stand together was one for the books, and Plimmer's individual brilliance also saw her create the third highest individual one-day score for the Blaze - even putting Sophie Devine's record on notice.
It was always going to be a special day (and night) at Seddon Park as the lights went on over Hallyburton Johnstone Shield for the first time, as NZC puts plinths in place to better prepare Domestic cricketers for environments they might go on to experience as international cricketers.
Plimmer was batting when the sun was still out, after Kasperek had won the toss and elected to bat first. She came in at first drop at 38/1 at the start of the sixth over, and batted for the next 148 minutes with a show-stopper of an innings.
Plimmer's previous career best had been just 38, but her talent and potential was obvious enough to catch the WHITE FERNS' selectors' eyes while still in her teens.
She'd already played nine ODIs and 18 T20 Internationals before walking out onto Seddon Park to not only stroke her maiden List A 50, but maiden century and almost a 150 as well.
The young right-hander with the sweet timing batted from the sixth until the end of the 48th over when Jesse Prasad, the ex-Auckland Heart on ND debut, finally brought the brilliant debut ton to a close, ironically with a wayward delivery that Plimmer chased to her peril.
But by then, the Blaze were 286/3, and slapped 30 runs from the last two overs to punch that up to a formidable 316/4.
That was defending champion Wellington's sixth highest ever List A one-day total, so the omens weren't great for ND.
Kudos must also go to Blaze captain Kasperek who showed flair and all her experience in support of Plimmer. She'd come in at the loss of Jess McFadyen at 64/2 in the 15th, and together with Plimmer kept control, pacing themselves as they grew their partnership before freeing up their arms to cash in on ND's frustration.
Record-setters | PHOTOSPORT
Kasperek was eventually run out at the death, but not before reaching 89 off 98 balls, with her fifty having come up off 76 of them. Plimmer had reached her half ton off 67 balls, with just three boundaries in that mix, before stepping up the tempo to reach three figures at almost run-a-ball pace, off 104 balls.
The spinner Nensi Patel and Jess Watkin had been the hardest to get away, but Northern was on a hiding to nothing trying to chase down the mammoth total under lights for the first time.
Jesse Prasad was on ND debut | PHOTOSPORT
Tash Wakelin was dismissed by Nicole Baird's first over of the evening innings, as ND was forced to make a watchful start against Baird and Natasha Codyre.
Codyre removed the big wicket of WHITE FERN Bernadine Bezuidenhout in the 10th, and a couple of middling partnerships was all Northern could muster as they found themselves well and truly behind the eight ball.
The hosts would be all out for 171 in just the 42nd over as the Blaze kicked into celebrating a special day in their one-day history, with a bonus point to boot.
