2022/23 HALLYBURTON JOHNSTONE SHIELD
Round 7
Saturday, 18 February 2023
Hutt Recreation Ground, Lower Hutt
WELLINGTON BLAZE beat NORTHERN DISTRICTS by 19 runs
Selected milestones
Nicole Baird, career best score
All images PHOTOSPORT
After the completion of this season's Dream11 Super Smash, the business end of New Zealand's national one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield began in earnest - with a trio of dramatic finishes.
A test of depth with the WHITE FERNS away, the six teams headed into the weekend with four rounds remaining in which to lock in a top two qualifying berth at this year's Grand Final - and, all six teams still in contention.
With a maximum of five points available per round, Wellington Blaze held a three-point advantage over the Canterbury Magicians on the table, the Blaze hosting Northern Districts in Lower Hutt in challenging conditions.
Leigh Kasperek elected to bat and soon found her team 25/4, the captain looking to rebuild with Thamsyn Newton.
A top throw from Holly Topp had run out a diving Jess McFadyen, while Shriya Naidu (3-38) was dangerous, bowling both Caitlin King and Kate Chandler with her hoops.
Newton's gutsy 57 off 85 balls at six was pivotal to the hosts getting a total on the board before Naidu struck again in the 36th over, and Charlotte Sarsfield mopped up with three wickets of her own in the tail.
But it was tit for tat, Chandler running out captain Sam Barriball wit a sharp throw and early wickets from Xara Jetly (3/24) helping reduce the visitors to 61/4.
Chasing Blaze's 156 in the low-scoring thriller, the match reached nail-biting territory with Northern requiring a further 24 runs when their penultimate wicket fell to Kasperek (3/25).
Blaze extended their lead at the head of the table a couple of overs later when ND's young Kayley Knight attacked a full toss from pace bowler Maneka Singh (2/31) only to be caught - just 20 further runs having been required for an upset, with five overs to go.
