The Sparks completed their round-robin games two weeks ago in second place in the standings and have been sweating on the results of other games.
Northern Districts beat Auckland by 10 wickets on Friday and another win yesterday would have seen them leapfrog the Sparks and join the Wellington Blaze in Sunday’s final in Queenstown.
They came within one run of making that happen.
Auckland posted 167 for four from 34 overs in Hamilton. But Northern was asked to chase a revised target of 213 after rain had interrupted Auckland’s innings.
Northern was desperately unlucky not to get there. The game ended in a rare tie, which left Northern and Otago level on 25 competition points apiece.
Otago got the spot in the final courtesy of a superior net run rate.
The Sparks will be without White Ferns trio Hayley Jensen, Katey Martin and Suzie Bates, while Wellington will be missing the Kerr sisters Jess and Melie, Sophie Devine and Maddy Green.
They are all busy preparing for the Women’s Cricket World Cup which gets under way in New Zealand next month.
Sparks coach Craig Cumming said his side will not have played in three weeks by the time of the final, which was not ideal preparation.
"I’d rather have time off and play in a final than have time off and not play in a final," he said.
"We just have to work out how we manage this week and hopefully dodge Covid and get as well prepared as well can. But Wellington will be in the same boat.
"They had a washout [two weeks ago], so both teams will go in with not great preparation. But that is just the way it is."
