2022/23 HALLYBURTON JOHNSTONE SHIELD
Round 9
Saturday, 25 February 2023
Sir John Davies Oval, Queenstown
OTAGO SPARKS lost to CANTERBURY MAGICIANS by 112 runs
Bonus point win
Selected milestones
Missy Banks: 50th List A match
Sarah Asmussen | PHOTOSPORT
Saturday's penultimate round of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield was a big one in all senses for both the Canterbury Magicians and defending champion the Otago Sparks - with just one spot left in this year's Final. Who would be queens of Queenstown?
The Sparks were poignantly back at the ground where they had beaten the Wellington Blaze a year earlier for a special title, but now faced a big task to stop the Canterbury Magicians from claiming the last spot in this year's title match, and locking them out of a place for that big event on 4 March.
Blaze, again, were already confirmed, and would suffer a nine-wicket drubbing at the hands of the Central Hinds this same day. It all added up to extra incentive for the Magicians to lock it in now.
Otago Sparks captain Felicity Leydon-Davis won the toss and sent in the Magicians at the parched Queenstown ground, Molly Loe grabbing an early wicket at 22/1 before the Magicians started piling on the partnerships.
Kate Anderson joined Laura Hughes to lay a stable platform with a second-wicket stand of 88 that took the Mags through to 110/1 in the 22nd over.
But after a big breakthrough by Chloe Deerness - Anderson bowled just after her 64-ball half ton, suddenly both were gone as Emma Black struck a few balls later to make the scoreboard read more pleasantly for the locals at 112/3.
The formidable new pair in the middle was Amy Satterthwaite and Nat Cox (below).
They settled in gently before Satterthwaite unleashed, smacking five consecutive boundaries off Sophie Oldershaw's 30th over - an expensive one at 20 runs.
The left-hand veteran, in the last pages now of her career, glided to her half century off just 39 balls, again making it look effortless.
She and Cox soon had a century stand for the fourth wicket, and Cox a run-a-ball half century of her own.
Things were looking ominous for Otago as Satterthwaite continued her plunder, but on 75 - having just taken another two boundaries - she was suddenly caught by Oldershaw off Caitlin Blakely.
With the Magicians now 247/4, the Sparks needed to quickly put some more pressure on to stem the damage, but although Blakely was also able to stop Cox on 59, the runs kept flowing freely as Canterbury chalked up a strong total of 317/5 in their 50.
That was only a few runs shy of their highest ever one-day tally against the Sparks, but their hosts weren't about to let that daunt them.
Kate Ebrahim and Bella James put on 84 for the opening wicket in the chase before young Abigail Hotton broke through in the 17th over.
Ebrahim carried on with Olivia Gain, the second-wicket stand stretching all the way into the 31st over.
While the required rate was already above eight per over, the sound platform gave the Sparks a fighting chance, with the dangerous Ebrahim in a mood at Uni Oval.
In her 50th match, Missy Banks finally had the much needed breakthrough for the Magicians as Gain was caught by Satterthwaite on 31 at 153/2.
Ebrahim meanwhile has already charged into the 80s, joined now by Blakely. She had been engaged in a good battle with Gabby Sullivan who had gone for just three runs an over off her eight overs, keeping the Sparks from tearing away.
Hotton had been tidy too, and now the pressure was rising on Ebrahim to lift the tempo as the required rate climbed over RPO 9.
Blakely was soon sent back by Sarah Asmussen, captain Leydon-Davis joining Ebrahim, the pair needing to draw on all their big match experience to keep the Sparks' dream alive.
But right on the 35-over mark, the Magicians struck a big blow as Banks struck again: the huge wicket of Ebrahim, trapped on 89 at 17/;4.
Now 140 runs were still needed off the last 15 overs, with two fresh batters facing an uphill climb. But Sarah Amussen (4-42) kept the pressure on, spinning her way to four quick wickets that took the wind out of the Sparks' sails.
The Sparks folded to be all out for 205, as the Magicians locked up the last available spot in this year's Final - setting up a rematch with the Wellington Blaze, whom they had beaten earlier in the month for the Dream11 Super Smash honours this season.
