The Otago Sparks bowled poorly, fielded dreadfully and the batting was mostly clueless.
Canterbury posted a monster 76-run win in Alexandra today.
The visitors put on 145 for seven thanks to a chunky 72-run opening partnership from Kate Anderson (43) and Frankie Mackay (51) at Molyneux Park today.
The Sparks responded with a paltry 69. There was a small consolation. They slipped past their lowest T20 total of 68 scored against Wellington in 2008.
Sparks coach Craig Cumming summed it up succinctly.
‘‘We didn’t turn up really,’’ he said.
‘‘The aggression in the field was lacking and that, in some ways, flowed into the batting.
‘‘It was one of those performances you never want. But it is a good reset and makes us realise we still have to do a lot of hard work.’’
The Sparks next assignment is against Northern Districts in Hamilton on Saturday.
One player who will be hoping for a run is Molly Loe.
She took a career-best four for 12 on Monday, but was left out of the playing XI.
Left-armer PJ Watkins was also overlooked.
Their spots went to White Ferns all-rounder Hayley Jensen, who missed the win against the Auckland Hearts with slight niggle, and wrist spinner Sophie Oldershaw was preferred on what was a used wicket.
Cumming said the decision was made with the balance of the side and the conditions in mind.
‘‘It was really tough for Molly , who performed brilliantly the other day.’’
Otago strike bowler Emma Black made a wayward start. Her first delivery slipped down legside for a wide. The next was dropped short and was pulled through midwicket for a boundary by Kate Anderson.
The Canterbury opener latched on to several other loose deliveries to get her side off to a rapid start.
The bowling was poor, but the fielding was even worse. The Sparks gifted their opponent an awful lot of extra runs in the game.
Sparks captain Suzie Bates had seen enough and brought herself on. She got the ball nice and full, which you needed to do with the long straight boundaries.
She strung together three dot balls and bingo. Anderson shuffled to off to create space and was bowled around her legs.
Put that wicket down to experience of the wily veteran.
Mackay offered a chance on 24. She lofted the ball to long-on and Caitlin Blakely was just a bit slow to attack the ball and grassed the opportunity.
Mackay heaved Eden Carson for back-to-back boundaries in the 13th over as the score continued to climb, from Otago’s point of view, in an alarming fashion.
But the late onslaught never arrived.
Once Mackay was dismissed, the innings stalled.
Canterbury lost six wickets, including three run outs in the last over, for the addition of just 29 runs in the final five.
That brought Otago back into the game somewhat.
But the Sparks found themselves two down for very little. Bella James nicked out for a duck and Olivia Gain (8) was bowled having an absolute heave before she got set.
That set the tone for the chase.
Bates (33) watched from the other end as the middle order of Felicity Robertson, Polly Inglis and Blakely all departed have not made much of a dent.
Sarah Asmussen and Lea Tahuhu grabbed three wickets apiece in a tidy bowling performance from the Magicians.
