The annual women’s North v South series got under way today at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln with the South Island taking early honours, beating North in the Twenty20 opener by five wickets.
South Island captain Suzie Bates made the ideal start, winning the toss and inserting the North Island XI in the first of the three match T20 inter-island series.
The decision paid immediate dividends with Bates catching Aimee Watkins at mid-off to hand leg spinner Erin Bermingham an early wicket.
Bermingham then struck again removing the other opener Vic Lind to have the North Island team in trouble at 19 for two.
Sara McGlashan steadied and provided the backbone of the North innings with 46 runs off 47 balls including six boundaries.
A key partnership was between McGlashan and Liz Perry who put on 56 runs, with running between the wickets a feature of their fourth wicket stand.
Some late hitting by Nicola Browne, who struck 18 off 12 balls, lifted North to 122 for eight off their 20 overs.
The South Island wickets were shared between Bermingham, Bates and Satterthwaite who took two wickets apiece.
In reply, the South started positively and Bates and Tsukigawa putting on 83 in 70 balls for the first wicket.
Tsukigawa was the first dismissed but not before she pounded 55 off 38 balls including seven fours and a six while opening partner Bates made 40 off 43 balls.
The South Island lost a few quick wickets towards the end of the inning but ended up cruising to victory in just 18.2 overs.
Off spinner Lucy Doolan was the most successful of the North bowlers with four four 23 off her 4 overs.
North Island 122-8(Sara McGlashan 45, Liz Perry 26, Nicola Browne 18, Erin Bermingham 2/10, Suzie Bates 2/19, Amy Satterthwaite 2/21) lost to South Island 124-5(Suzie Bates 40, Sarah Tsukigawa 55, Lucy Doolan 4/23) by 5 wickets
