The Otago Sparks left arm bowler found herself watching from the non-strikers end while No 11 Emma Black was doing her best not to get out.
The Sparks needed four from the last over to overhaul Central Districts' seemingly modest total.
Gordon had taken two for 16 to help restrict the visitors to 89 for nine at Molyneux Park in Alexandra today.
But Otago’s pursuit proved calamitous. Wickets tumbled and runs were in scarce supply.
It was left to Gordon and a nervous Black to eke out the final few runs.
Gordon could only manage a single from the first ball.
Left arm spinner Flora Devonshire had been trusted to bowl that final over.
The Hinds pair Rosemary Mair (two for 16) and Hannah Rowe (three for 13) had bowled out and given their side a decent chance to snatch a win.
If Devonshire felt under pressure, it did not show. She bowled two dot balls to Black, who prodded the delivery back down the wicket with a dead bat.
She repeated that shot a third time, but the Sparks scampered through for a single.
That left them with two to win from two balls.
The Hinds had the field up and Gordon got the width she needed to cut the ball to rope and win the game.
It was a tense watch.
‘‘If we’re being totally honest that should not have got down to almost the last ball when we are chasing 90,’’ Gordon said.
‘‘There is lots to review from that. But we’ve won two of our three games and that’s a good position to be in going into the New Year.
‘‘When they had the field up, it made it a bit easier. I just had to get it through and I knew we could get back for two.
‘‘But there was a bit of emotion and a bit of relief more than anything.
‘‘[My heart rate] was pretty high. I’ll have to check my GPS after because I reckon it was through the roof.’’
The Sparks were in total control for the first half of the game.
English import Hollie Armitage leaned into a couple of early lovely cover drives for the Hinds and ended up carrying her bat for an unbeaten 32 from 47 balls.
Wickets fell rapidly at the other end, though.
Hayley Jensen (one for 11) gave the wrecking ball the first shove. She trapped 18-year-old opener Emma McLeod lbw for two.
Mikaela Greig tried to wrestle back some momentum. She tonked Anna Browning back over her head for six but was out next ball.
The spiral downwards increased speed when Devonshire succumbed for 12.
Otago spinner Eden Carson nabbed three for 19 in an influential performance.
The visitors boast a quality attack, though.
Mair and Rowe snapped up five wickets between them.
Suzie Bates could not get going in her 100th Super Smash game. She danced down the wicket and clunked a pull shot to Thamsyn Newton.
When Rowe’s out-swinger found the edge of Caitlin Blakely’s bat, well, it wrapped a lot more context around the low tally the Hinds mustered.
The Sparks slumped to 72 for seven and the match looked like it might have slipped away.
Enter Gordon whose 13 not out proved a match-winning knock.
Women’s Super Smash
Central Districts
E McLeod lbw Jensen 2 (6)
H Armitage not out 32 (47)
T Newton run out (Gordon) 0 (1)
H Rowe c Black b Carson 10 (16)
M Greig c Black b Browning 12 (9)
K Tomlinson st Inglis b Robertson 0 (2)
F Devonshire c Robertson b Carson 12 (19)
R Mair c James b Gordon 5 (5)
K Gaging c Bates b Gordon 0 (1)
C Green b Carson 7 (7)
O Bartlett not out 4 (7)
Extras (lb 2, w 3) 5
Total (for 9 wkts, 20 overs) 89
Fall: 1-15, 2-15, 3-30, 4-44, 5-45, 6-67, 7-72, 8-72, 9-79.
Bowling: E Black 4-0-21-0 (2w), H Jensen 4-1-11-1, K Gordon 4-0-16-2, E Carson 4-0-19-3, F Robertson 2-0-8-1, A Browning 2-0-12-1.
Otago
S Bates c Newton b Green 5 (12)
B James b Mair 2 (5)
O Gain c Bartlett b Devonshire 24 (27)
C Blakely c Gaging b Rowe 1 (4)
P Inglis c Green b Bartlett 11 (17)
C Robertson c Gaging b Rowe 11 (14)
A Browning c Newton b Rowe 11 (16)
H Jensen c Gaging b Mair 1 (5)
K Gordon not out 13 (9)
E Carson c Greig b Bartlett 5 (7)
E Black not out 1 (3)
Extras (lb 1, w 6) 7
Total (for 9 wkts, 19.5 overs) 92
Fall: 1-5, 2-16, 3-24, 4-44, 5-51, 6-67, 7-72, 8-72, 9-86.
Bowling: C Green 4-0-18-1 (2w), R Mair 4-1-16-2 (1w), H Rowe 4-0-13-3 (1w), O Bartlett 4-0-29-2 (1w), F Devonshire 3.5-1-15-1 (1w).
Result: Otago won by one wicket.
