A day after scoring a century in an agonisingly close loss, Martin notched an unbeaten 75 as the Sparks claimed a four-wicket win over the Auckland Hearts in Lincoln.
After rain reduced the match to a 39 overs, Auckland set Otago a total of 197, which it chased down with seven balls to spare.
Martin arrived at the crease with the score at 19 for one, joining Caitlin Blakely, after Arlene Kelly bowled Leigh Kasperek for 14. The pair put on 52 runs for the second wicket, before Kelly was in the action again, taking a catch off the bowling of Regina Lili’i to dismiss Blakely for 24.
Millie Cowan chipped in with a handy 24, before quick wickets from Maddy Green resulted in her and Polly Inglis being dismissed and Otago falling to 113 for four. Victoria Holden added 25, helping the Sparks to 165 for five when Green picked up her third wicket, dismissing her with six overs remaining. Auckland had hope when Megan Gibbs was bowled without score by Lili’i the next over, but that was snuffed out by Martin and Beth Langston, who saw Otago home.
Green was the pick of the Auckland bowlers, taking three for 28, while Lili’i claimed two for 34.
Earlier, Lauren Down and Anna Peterson got Auckland off to a good start, putting on 46 for the opening stand, before Holden removed Down for 11. Holden claimed a second in her next over, as Martin caught Peterson for 41, leaving Auckland at 54 for two. Morna Nielsen got among the action three overs later, as she bowled Katie Perkins for 10, giving Otago the upper hand with the score at 69 for three.
Green and Victoria Lind settled things down, putting on 89 for the fourth-wicket, and taking Auckland through to 158, when Green was caught by Inglis off the bowling of Kasperek. A superb effort in the final eight overs limited the damage thereafter. Beth Langston, Morna Nielsen, Millie Cowan and Kasperek all claimed wickets to keep Auckland to 34 for five through that period as it reached 197 for nine.
Kasperek and Nielsen took two for 40 and two for 41 respectively off their eight overs, while Holden had two for 31 off her six.
In other matches, the Canterbury Magicians beat the Northern Spirit by nine wickets, while the Wellington Blaze claimed a two-wicket win over the Central Hinds.
