Rain, rain, rain.
New Zealand’s "summer" played a major role in the latest round of domestic cricket.
The Otago Sparks had the first of their back-to-back Hallyburton Johnstone Shield games against Wellington at the Basin Reserve called off due to poor weather.
And yesterday’s match was also rain-affected. It had to be shortened to 35 overs and then trimmed further to 31 overs apiece.
The Blaze reached 140 for five. Thamsyn Newton top-scored with 42 from 68 balls, while Kate Chandler chipped in with 32 not out from 38.
The Sparks dished up 17 wides which was too many free runs.
Otago was then bowled out for 109 chasing a revised target of 155, which should have been within reach.
Opener Olivia Gain spooned a soft catch on 21, Bella James, who perished for 20, sliced a shot in the air.
Kate Ebrahim was given out caught behind on 20 off the bowling of Caitlin King.
Otago dropped another couple of wickets when the captain Felicity Leydon-Davis (6) skipped past a delivery from off-spinner Xara Jetly and Caitlin Blakely offered a catch on 15.
The rescue effort was left to keeper Polly Inglis, but she got run out at the non-striker’s end when the bowler got a deflection to a straight drive.
It was a quick demise from there.
There was more wet weather further north. Saturday’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield game between Auckland and Canterbury in Auckland was abandoned.
But yesterday’s fixture produced a result. Auckland stumbled to 116 all out.
Canterbury cruised to the seven-wicket win. Amy Satterthwaite led the charge with 49 not out.
There was no problem with the weather in Mt Maunganui. Northern Districts opener Caitlin Gurrey smashed 183 to help her side reach 318 for seven against Central Districts.
It was one of the highest innings in New Zealand list A cricket. Only Jamie How (222) and George Worker (194) have scored more, while Otago’s Suzie Bates has also clubbed 183 not out in a Hallyburton Johnstone Shield game.
Northern Districts rolled Central for 195 to win by 123 runs.
The Volts’ Ford Trophy game against Auckland in Queenstown yesterday was also ruined by wet weather.
The match got under way, but there was only time for 4.1 overs before the players were forced off the field with Auckland 12 without loss.
The Canterbury-Northern Districts clash at Hagley Oval was abandoned without a ball bowled.
In Napier, Central Districts scored 268 for seven from 47 overs against Wellington Firebirds. Tom Bruce whacked 80 from 66 balls.
Central edged Wellington by 18 runs (DLS) in a late-finishing, rain-interrupted match.
Top-scorer in Wellington’s 140 for seven was Luke Georgeson (54) at the top of the order.
SPARKS V FIREBIRDS
WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS
R Burns c Inglis b Adams 11
A Hamilton c Inglis b Adams 7
C King b Oldershaw 23
L Kasperek c Inglis b Black 4
T Newton lbw b Ebrahim 42
K Chandler not out 32
X Jetly not out 0
Extras (3lb, 17w, 1nb) 21
Total (5 wickets, 31 overs) 140
Fall: 1-22, 2-36, 3-41, 4-76, 5-137.
Bowling: E Black 5-1-20-1, G Adams 5-0-26-2 (6w), M Loe 6-0-30-0 (2w), K Ebrahim 5-0-17-1 (1w), S Oldershaw 6-1-22-1 (1w), C Blakely 4-0-22-0 (4w).
OTAGO SPARKS
K Ebrahim c Hamilton b King 20
O Gain c Codyre b Kasperek 21
B James c Singh b Kasperek 8
C Blakely c Burns b Jetly 15
F Leydon-Davis b Jetly 6
P Inglis run out (Doughty) 14
S Wilson c Newton b Doughty 1
E Black c Jetly b Baird 2
G Adams b Baird 7
S Oldershaw c Jetly b Singh 1
M Loe not out 0
Extras (1lb, 13w) 14
Total (10 wickets, 24.5 overs) 109
Fall: 1-35, 2-48, 3-65, 4-76, 5-80, 6-86, 7-94, 8-101, 9-102.
Bowling: M Singh 4.5-0-27-1 (2w), N Codyre 2-0-14-0, L Kasperek 4-0-15-2, C King 6-0-22-1 (5w), X Jetly 4-0-19-2, D Doughty 2-0-10-1 (1w), N Baird 2-1-1-2.
Result: Wellington wins by 45 runs (DLS method).
