2022/23 HALLYBURTON JOHNSTONE SHIELD
ROUND FIVE
Sunday, 18 December 2022
Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington
WELLINGTON BLAZE beat OTAGO SPARKS by 45 runs (DLS)
Points this round: Blaze 5, Sparks 0
Bonus point win
All images: PHOTOSPORT
After the previous day's washout, the Wellington Blaze and the Otago Sparks met again in a Hallyburton Johnstone Shield rematch of last summer's Grand Final - and went straight to the top of the table, ahead of the Canterbury Magicians (who also won earlier on the day) on net run rate.
Blaze skipper Dee Doughty again won the toss for the weekend clashes, and this time batted first in a late-starting match that had already been reduced to 35 overs.
The hosts put 140/5 on the scoreboard in what turned out ot be a 31-over innings after further interruptions, Thamsyn Newton top-scoring with a patient 42 and forming a nice little partnership with Kate Chandler who contributed a quick unbeaten 32*.
When Caitlin King removed the big wicket of Kate Ebrahim for 20 in the reply, caught behind by young keeper Antonia Hamilton at 65/3, it was game on in the DLS chase, the most potent striker gone.
With both openers back in the bowels of the R.A. Vance stand, the hosts started ripping through the Sparks' order to bowl them out in just 24.5 overs for a tidy bonus point win.
Revenge, and the top of the table, was theirs on the last day of List A one-dayers for 2022.
All images: PHOTOSPORT
