2020/21
The heat goes on in the penultimate round...
Four teams remain in with a chance of making the 2021 Hallyburton Johnstone Shield Grand Final - with nothing at all locked in even as the regular season boils down to the last round: a super Sunday of twin deciders.
The Canterbury Magicians, Northern Spirit and Wellington Blaze all picked up wins in a heated Round Nine - a bonus-point victory for ND over the third-placed Central Hinds at Pukekura Park not only keeping them alive, but lifting them in touch of the leading bunch.
That was just the kind of day Northern had needed with their captain Brooke Halliday back in the fold and, if they can back up tomorrow and the maths works in their favour, they could even find themselves in a second Grand Final in the space of two years.
The match was Felicity Leydon-Davis's 100th overall List A appearance, but it was Halliday's day as the WHITE FERN survived a cluster of failed runout attempts and missed catches in the field to build a strong opening stand with Katie Gurrey, the Spirit pair taking ND to 70/1 as they went after the Hinds' lacklustre 176.
Halliday went on to a half century to set up the crucial eight-wicket win for her side with more than 15 overs to spare, heaping pressure on the Hinds to reverse their form and fortunes tomorrow.
A bonus point in Auckland would have confirmed the Canterbury Magicians as the first finalist, but instead the Magicians must also live to fight another day after a close win over the Auckland Hearts.
INNINGS BREAK | Peterson finishes with 5-30 as the Magicians are bowled out for 204 in the 49th over.
— Auckland Cricket (@aucklandcricket) March 13, 2021
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Anna Peterson took a five-wicket bag for the Aucklanders before a dogged Katie Perkins gave them a chance of running down the Magicians' total of 204, but was the last to fall just 24 runs short.
Still, the Magicians hadn't completely got away on them, having to settle for just the four points as they moved up above the Hearts to outright first on the table.
With a maximum of five points per team left, here's how the contenders are placed heading into Super Sunday this weekend:
Canterbury Magicians 33 points [Net run rate 1.1]
Auckland Hearts 29 points [Net run rate -0.15]
Central Hinds 28 points [Net run rate 0.99]
Northern Spirit 24 points [Net run rate 0.22]
In the dead rubber at the Basin, the strong Wellington Blaze meanwhile kept the Otago Sparks winless for another round after Sophie Devine blasted 97 off just 54 balls, the Blaze winning by eight wickets with a whopping 26.2 overs to spare heading into their last match of the season.
