Positioned delicately in both the twenty20 and one-day women’s domestic competitions, the side heads to Rangiora to face the Canterbury Magicians.
It begins with a T20 today, before one-dayers tomorrow and Sunday.
Otago is fourth in the one-day competition, one place and four points behind Canterbury. Both are among four teams with a one-win, two-loss T20 record.
With four points on offer for each win, Otago has the chance to jump ahead of its rivals.
It was something not lost on coach Nathan King, although he felt Canterbury would be approaching with the same mindset.
"I think it’s important for both teams to win if they want to keep their chances alive of winning the competition," he said.
"So it’s evenly matched going into this weekend and I’m sure both teams are keen to do well."
The Magicians boast some quality players, although are were a team with some newer players.
They will be without Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu and Thamsyn Newton, as all are playing in Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League.
However, King felt they were a team that was finding more depth and knew the younger players would be excited.
He said it was not dissimilar to the Sparks, who had some well-performing experienced players, as well as several still relatively new to the top level.
One of those youngsters is 18-year-old Georgia Heffernan, twin sister of fellow Sparks youngster Kate.
She has been named in the 12-player squad and, if she takes the field, will make her Sparks debut.
Also a promising netball star, she picked up an ankle injury at the end of the netball season.
That had lingered for several months and left Heffernan to sit out the first three rounds of the campaign.
However, she is back to full fitness and was excited when told she was in the squad.
King did not confirm she would play, although he said that he liked to use all 12 players over the three games as the weekend could be taxing.
Coming off a successful weekend in against the Northern Spirit in the most recent round, he hoped the team would be able to carry on its form.
"We played some really good cricket, the last three games.
"It seems like it’s been a while ago now; I guess it has been.
"But hopefully we can just carry on where we left off and play some good cricket."
Otago Sparks v Canterbury Magicians
Mainpower Oval, Rangiora, today, 4pm
Otago Sparks: Ella Black, Caitlin Blakely, Ella Brown, Georgia Clarke, Megan Gibbs, Kate Heffernan, Georgia Heffernan, Polly Inglis, Leigh Kasperek, Beth Langston, Katey Martin (c), Morna Nielsen.
Canterbury Magicians: (from) Frances Mackay, Melissa Banks, Erin Bermingham, Nat Cox, Kate Ebrahim, Georgia Edge, Laura Hughes, Eve Jones, Emma Kench, Allie Mace-Cochrane, Liv McGoverne, Kirsty Nation, Jess Simmons.
