The first round of the Action Cricket Cup and T20 competitions featured a raft of debutants. Lauren Down and Roz McNeil were joined by the West Indies Stafanie Taylor in making their debuts for the Auckland Hearts. Jacinta Savage was the only Canterbury Magician on debut but the Central Hinds had Briar Cloake, Hannah Rowe and H Nesbitt playing their first matches while former Hearts player Sandee Hui was making her Hinds debut as was the former Northern Spirit and Wellington Blaze player, Kerry-Anne Tomlinson. The Northern Spirit had Hannah Trollip and Katie Johnson making their debut. Trollip is from Sydney and has been the Sydney Grade Cricket Player of the Year. Bridget Thayer and Suzie Burrows were the Otago Sparks on debut while Suzie McDonald and Deanna Doughty were the Wellington Blaze players making their first start. The former Hinds and Hearts player Kelly Sutherland was also playing her first match for the Blaze.
The weather played a big part during the round with one match abandoned and two no result matches. The Central Hinds, like their male counterparts, have been badly affected by the weather over time. They have had 19 matches in the Cup or T20 competitions either abandoned or no result. The Wellington Blaze have also been badly affected losing 17 matches, with just two of the five T20 matches scheduled between the two teams actually played. The Auckland Hearts have been least affected with 6 matches abandoned and 4 no results.
The tied T20 match between the Otago Sparks and Wellington Blaze is just the second since the advent of the T20 competition. The Northern Spirit tied with the Canterbury Magicians in Whangarei in the 2009-10 season.
White Ferns Sara McGlashan and Rachel Priest had added an unbeaten 130 for the Hinds in their Action Cricket Cup match before the rain had the final say. This was only the second century partnership for the Hinds against the Spirit and just one short of the best. It was also threatening the Hinds third wicket record of 143 held by Nicole Thessman and Aimee Watkins against the Blaze in 2005-06.
Frankie Mackay and Mandie Godliman have taken a liking to the Auckland Hearts bowlers in the Action Cricket Cup. Together they added 151 for the first wicket at Rangiora last season and followed that up with an opening partnership of 103 this year. Mackay also scored 52 in the Action Cricket T20 last season and was 62* in the only match between the two teams in the first round this year.
Suzie Bates innings of 92 in the Action Cricket Cup match equals Katie Martin's best for the Otago Sparks against the Wellington Blaze. In the process she shared record partnerships against the Blaze of 92 for the 3rd wicket with Katie Martin and 58 for the 4th wicket with Natasha Miles.
Megan Wakefield has been only an occasional bowler for the Wellington Blaze but she had career best figures of 3-33 to go with her top score of 73 before being run out off the last ball of the Blaze innings. Her partnership of 91 with Sarah Taylor for the 2nd wicket was a record for the Blaze against the Sparks in the Cup. She also became the first Blaze batter to pass 2,000 one day runs during her innings.
Natasha Miles figures of 10-0-78-1 are the third most expensive in New Zealand One Day history. Nicola Browne conceded 82 for the Northern Spirit, also against the Blaze, while Liz Perry conceded 79 for the Blaze against her former team, the Central Hinds.
Lucy Doolan and Sarah Taylor joined together in an unbeaten partnership of 115 for the 2nd wicket to carry the Blaze to victory in their first T20 match against the Sparks. This is just the second century partnership for Wellington in the Action Cricket T20 after the 131 added by Megan Wakefield and Sophie Devine against the Northern Spirit last season. It is just the tenth century partnership in the history of the T20 League.
Morna Nielsen's figures of 4-1-6-0 for the Northern Spirit in the T20 match at Mount Maunganui equal the most economic in the T20 competition. Kate Broadmore (Central Hinds) and Frankie Mackay (Canterbury Magicians) have previously conceded just 6 runs from their four overs.
Kelly Anderson claimed her best one day figures and her first four wicket bag when taking 4-41 for the Canterbury Magicians against the Auckland Hearts. Sandee Hui, in her first match for the Central Hinds, had career best T20 figures of 3-19 against the Northern Spirit.
