Otago Sparks glovewoman Polly Inglis stood out behind the wickets with a couple of stumpings and a brace of sharp catches.
Her effort was not enough to deliver glory for the Sparks, though.
Wellington posted a 19-run win in their opening game of the Super Smash campaign.
White Ferns duo Melie Kerr (46) and Maddy Green (45 not out) teamed up to add 58 for the fourth wicket and helped the Blaze reach 146 for five at the Basin Reserve today.
Experienced spinner Leigh Kasperek took three for 16 to remind the selectors of her ability, while Jess Kerr also picked up a bag of three wickets.
The Sparks limped through to 127 for eight.
But there were some bright spots for the visitors. Inglis' effort was at the top of that list.
Katey Martin was a constant presence behind the stumps for Otago for a couple of decades. But her retirement earlier this year has opened the way for Inglis to make the position her own.
She impressed a slick display. Both catches were made up at the stumps which adds to the difficulty level.
She did fumbled an opportunity to nab a third stumping, and missed out with the bat, but it was an otherwise impressive outing.
The Sparks, though, produced a tame chase and had slipped well behind the require run rate at the halfway mark.
They needed 96 from the last 10 overs but had eight wickets in hand.
The most important wicket was the captain Suzie Bates.
Otago’s hopes rested firmly on her shoulders.
Bates hit a couple of crisp boundaries in the first over but became becalmed and holed out for 31.
Kate Ebrahim got bogged down while she was trying to get established. Her strike rate has been an area of her game she has working on and there is still work to do for her to become a more effective T20 player.
She picked up the pace and helped get the game back in the balance briefly.
But she nicked out on 37 with just over four overs remaining and that sealed Otago’s fate.
The Sparks started well with the ball.
Wellington opener Georgia Plimmer (4) clubbed a drive straight to Bates at mid-off.
Emma Black celebrated her first wicket of the campaign and Eden Carson need just one delivery to secure another breakthrough.
The off-spinner found the outside edge of Thamsyn Newton’s bat with an arm ball which swung away.
Inglis nabbed the catch.
Newton had looked dangerous. She swung away a couple of boundaries in her brief knock of 13.
Her departure brought Meile Kerr to the wicket, who is one of the countries premier batters and she was quickly into her stride.
Otago made a double strike when Melie Kerr charged, missed and was stumped. Her sister Jess Kerr went next ball.
Inglis made a tremendous catch and Black was on a hat-trick.
Leigh Kasperek negotiated that delivery safely.
The Blaze closed the innings with a damaging hitting spree, clouting 31 off the last two overs which proved to be the difference.
