2022/23 HALLYBURTON JOHNSTONE SHIELD
Round 9
Saturday, 25 February 2023
Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
- Viv Stephens Memorial Trophy Match -
CENTRAL HINDS beat WELLINGTON BLAZE by 9 wickets
bonus point win
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Selected milestones
Rachel Bryant: Wellington Blaze and List A debut
Rosemary Mair: 50 List A matches for Central Hinds
Rosemary Mair: 50 List A wickets for Central Hinds
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Images | PHOTOSPORT
The penultimate round of New Zealand's national one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield saw the third-placed Central Hinds needing a big victory against runaway leader, Wellington Blaze, to keep their title dream alive - and they made it look all too easy.
Blaze had already locked in a spot in the national Grand Final in the previous round, leaving five teams in an urgent contest for the remaining berth.
Of those, the Canterbury Magicians were in the box seat. Everyone else needed not only to win, but to have the Magicians-Sparks results go their way. The Hinds still needed a big effort - and they delivered with a comprehensive performance.
Captain Natalie Dodd had no hesitation in bowling at an overcast Fitzherbert Park after inclement weather in the lead-up. With star seamer Rosemary Mair playing her 50th cap match for the team, Mair soon made the opening breakthrough with Jess McFadyen caught behind cheaply for a nice touch: it was her 50th Hinds List A wicket.
Fellow powerful Blaze opener Rebecca Burns (above) meanwhile looked to make the positive start for her side, and quickly got some momentum with six boundaries in a run-a-ball knock.
It had been looking like it might be business as usual for Wellington with their generally winning ways, but Burns' wicket proved a big one when Melissa Hansen (2-21) convinced her to loop up a catch to a canny deepish slip at 53/2 in the 12th over.
Remarkably, the Blaze would lose their last eight wickets for the addition of just a further 42 runs as the Hinds continued to shine at the back end of their season.
Mair was on fire, getting the big wicket of Leigh Kasperek cheaply and finishing with 3-34 off her eight. Spinner Jess Watkin (above) was meanwhile not to be trifled with on her home ground, collecting a quick 3-11 off her 3.3 overs while Dodd did the work behind the stumps with three catches and a hand in the runout that ended the innings in just 26.3 overs.
The Hinds were batting before lunch and, although the experienced Dodd got the ball rolling quickly with a boundary in the first over, they could afford to pick their deliveries in the low chase and still be on for a bonus point.
Kasperek typically kept things tight when she came on in the eighth over, and soon broke the stand with Georgia Atkinson caught in the powerplay at 26/1.
By lunchtime, the Hinds had knocked off most of their target, and the Blaze had not enjoyed further success with Dodd (30* at the break) and Watkin (35* off 32, including a six into the stand off Kasperek) taking their team to 73/1 after 19.
Just a further 43 runs would be required after lunch. Watkin slammed an even bigger six off Tash Codyre, and would reach her half century off just 38 balls. Rachel Bryant would come on for her first bowl for Wellington soon after with the Hinds running rampant at 84/1, and turned in a maiden to open her career.
It was brief respite as Kasperek cycled through seven bowling options, but nothing was working for the visitors whose own collapse had proved fatal. The Hinds cruised past 100, still just one wicket down.
Dodd finished unbeaten on 47* and Watkin 63* off 51 as the Hinds became the first to win the Viv Stephens Memorial silverware outright (after the previous season's washout), and kept their Hallyburton chances alive (pending other results), with a nine-wicket, bonus point win finished off in the 26th over.
