But Otago will have to put Saturday’s crushing disappointment at Hagley Oval behind it quickly.
The Sparks play Auckland at Eden Park Outer Oval this afternoon.
It is an opportunity for redemption after blowing the chance to upset Canterbury at home.
Canterbury posted a decent total of 132 for eight. But Millie Cowan, in her 50th twenty20 for the province, blasted Otago into a commanding position.
She swatted 50 off 36 balls but was out very next ball in unfortunate circumstances.
She danced down the wicket, but Kate Ebrahim’s delivery dipped under her bat.
Wicketkeeper Laura Hughes failed to glove the ball but it rebounded off her body and on to the stumps.
Not the slickest glovework ever, but a stumping all the same.
Otago still should have still won the game from there. The Sparks needed just six off the last over, but Frankie Mackay turned a probable five-wicket loss into a three-run win.
She nabbed two wickets in the last over to help restrict the Sparks to 129 for seven.
Earlier, the visitors had made the perfect start through teenager Molly Loe.
The 17-year-old got an outswinger past the bat of Jacinta Savage to take a wicket with the first ball of the match.
Emma Black trapped Natalie Cox lbw in the next over and there should have been a third wicket inside the powerplay.
The dangerous Amy Satterthwaite was dropped on three at mid-on by Cowan.
It was a pretty simple catch, and the elegant left-hander cashed in by clubbing a couple of boundaries in the next over.
The former White Ferns captain then used her feet well to hit down the ground and break up the length of Otago’s spinners.
Ebrahim played a nice supporting role at the other end. She has been in impressive form with the bat this season, but dragged a short delivery to the fielder at midwicket on 22.
The 60-run partnership had seemingly set the home side on the course towards a challenging total.
But with Satterthwaite’s dismissal for 36 shortly after, the trajectory slumped.
Polly Inglis pulled off a stunning one-handed catch to send the hard-hitting Kirsty Nation back to the dressing room.
But Canterbury had held back regular opener Mackay and she helped Canterbury edge past 130 with an undefeated 26 from 20 deliveries.
Opening up for the Magicians, White Ferns fast bowler Lea Tahuhu then produced a tremendous opening spell of three overs. She removed opener Inglis with a short delivery and went for just three runs.
Newly promoted opener Bella James collected way too many dot balls during the powerplay, but there were plenty of wides on offer as compensation.
And Katey Martin looked positive right from her arrival at the crease. She has had a lean run recently but combined in a threatening partnership with Cowan.
The pair put on 42 before Martin got an edge through to the keeper with her own score also on 42.
That left the Sparks needing 44 off seven overs. It was very doable, but Gabby Sullivan responded with a tight over for Canterbury.
It created enough pressure to force a mistake from Caitlin Blakely.
She shuffled to off and looked to whack the ball to fine leg but was bowled for a duck by Savage.
It set up a contest between Tahuhu, who still had one over left, and Cowan who was the key wicket for Otago.
Cowan won that contest and then danced down the wicket to smash a delivery from Mackay for six.
But her eventual messy stumping sealed the Sparks’ fate.
