2022/23 HALLYBURTON JOHNSTONE SHIELD
Round 10
Sunday, 26 February 2023
Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
CENTRAL HINDS lost to WELLINGTON BLAZE by 8 wickets
Bonus point win
Selected milestones
Hannah Francis: List A debut
Hannah Francis: maiden List A wicket
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The last round of New Zealand's one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield saw the Central Hinds looking to take their fourth win in five matches, but with their run of fighting form just a little too late for glory in 2022/23.
Wellington Blaze, already qualified for this summer's forthcoming Final, meanwhile just wanted to settle the score after yesterday's upset loss.
Sent in by the Blaze on a sunny Palmerston North morning, the Hinds started strongly with a century stand from openers Nat Dodd and Georgia Atkinson - taking the hosts to a good platform of 107/0 just over halfway through the innings.
So far, so same-same.
But Dodd (64) spooned up a catch soon after off Leigh Kasperek to depart in the 26th over, and Atkinson followed her back in to the stand off the very next, caught by Kasperek (44) off Nicole Baird.
Jess Watkin eased her way to a quick 34 at first drop, but there was big trouble for the hosts as the Blaze attacked the other end.
Six of the remaining batters would depart for single-figure scores as the Hinds squandered their good start, the innings disintegrating to 218/9 - Melissa Hansen's unbeaten 39* in the tail helping them bat out their 50.
Kasperek had produced a double wicket maiden that accounted for both Flora Devonshire and Rosemary Mair, to finish with 3-42 off her 10, while young Hannah Francis claimed Mikaela Greig as her first victim.
Blaze made batting look easy in reply.
Opener Jess McFadyen narrowly missed out on a century, batting throughout the 35.2 overs of a successful chase to finish undefeated on 96 not out.
She'd shared a solid opening stand of 136 with Rebecca Burns (76) for the first wicket, before left-arm spinner Flora Devonshire went bang-bang to pick up the only two wickets of the innings, both caught by gun fielder Ashtuti Kumar.
Kasperek (30 not out) stuck around at the end to try to see McFadyen to a century, and had the consolation of hitting the winning boundary.
The season was over for the Central Hinds, but there was still one very important match to come for the Wellington Blaze - in next Saturday's 2022/23 Hallyburton Johnstone Shield Grand Final against the Canterbury Magicians in Queenstown.
