Coast in the next.
The Otago Sparks backed up from a horror 76-run loss to Canterbury at Molyneux Park on Wednesday with a convincing nine-wicket win against Northern Districts in a rain-affected T20 in Hamilton today.
The competition’s leading scorer Suzie Bates anchored the chase with an unbeaten knock of 41, and fellow opener Bella James struck a career-high 39 to help secure the big win.
The Brave were restricted to a below-par 93 for six in what was a decent bowling display by the visitors.
Several early rain interruptions saw the match reduced to 15 overs apiece.
Otago strike bowler Emma Black took the delays in her stride. She came back out after the first break and struck almost immediately, removing opener Chamari Athapaththu.
The keeper Polly Inglis made a good instinctive catch up at the stumps.
Northern emerged from the second break with more intent.
Jess Watkin whipped the ball off her hip and pulled another to end the fourth over well for the home team.
The last over of the powerplay was painful from Otago’s point of view. Caitlin Gurrey slapped a couple of fours and Jess Watkin lofted the ball down the ground for six to help take 15 off it.
The Sparks have mostly been awful in the field this season and they put down another. PJ Watkin got under a towering catch from Jess Watkin and completely butchered it.
Moments later Inglis missed a regulation stumping off Eden Carson.
But Felicity Robertson partially redeemed the team’s reputation with a sensational one-handed effort to send Gurrey packing for 30.
And Carson nabbed a two-handed take at deep midwicket to dispatch Jess Watkin for 25. The pair had put on 53, though.
Former Sparks all-rounder Marina Lamplough (17) cracked back-to-back boundaries to get the innings rolling again.
But Hayley Jensen closed the innings with a tight final over to prevent the Brave reaching triple figures.
The Sparks were set a revised tally of 95 to win and avoided an early setback.
Bates survived a confident lbw shout from Marama Downes and then employed the reverse sweep to clout Athapaththu for a brace of boundaries next over.
James used her feet well against the spinners and the partnership built quickly.
The Sparks could have stayed in cruise control but James upped the pressure in the ninth over, helping to smash Athapaththu for 15 runs.
The scoop shot proved her undoing, but not before she had posted a new career high.
Jensen was promoted to help club the winning runs with more than two overs to spare.
The win lifted the Sparks into third place. Their next assignment is against Central Districts in Napier on Wednesday.
