The Sparks lost three wickets in the penultimate over but Kate Ebrahim put the nervous dressing room out of its misery when she lofted a delivery down the ground to seal the Sparks’ third consecutive win of the Super Smash.
Northern posted a competitive 135 for four but the experienced right-hander anchored the chase with 38 not out.
She had good support from Polly Inglis (31) and Caitlin Blakely (20).
There were plenty of momentum swings during the game but the home side seemingly had the game under control.
The Sparks needed only five runs from the final two overs but Blakely, Bella James and Marina Lamplough were all undone with victory in sight.
It set up a tense finish.
Earlier, Northern opener Lucy Boucher put the Sparks under some early pressure. She blasted a couple of boundaries before she was brilliantly caught by Suzie Bates for 15.
Fellow opener and captain Kate Anderson took a more measured approach but was still able to score at a good rate.
She combined in a damaging 98-run stand with Sam Barriball.
Anderson was eventually run out for 52, and Barriball followed shortly after when she spooned a catch to Lamplough on 39.
That left the Brave with two new players at the crease with a couple of overs left.
The Sparks had clawed back the run rate in the last five overs and that proved critical.
Otago’s chase suffered a major blow early. The in-form Bates slapped a waist-high full toss to Charlotte Sarsfield, who nabbed a nice dipping catch at midwicket.
Fellow veteran right-hander Katey Martin got run out for 15 before she could really find her rhythm.
That left Ebrahim and Inglis carrying a heavy load.
The Sparks had slipped behind the required run rate but some wayward bowling and sloppy fielding gave the home side a leg up.
Otago needed 38 off the last five and got there — just.
The Sparks were desperately unlucky on Saturday.
Their Hallyburton Johnstone Shield game against Northern was rained off but not before the home side had posted a formidable tally of 299 for three from 46 overs.
Bates and Ebrahim put on a New Zealand record stand of 235 for the first wicket.
Bates whacked 138 from 120 balls, while Ebrahim played the support role with 88 from 124 deliveries.
