Otago is back at full-strength for its crucial final round-robin games against Wellington in the capital over the next three days.
White Ferns duo Suzie Bates and Morna Nielsen return from playing in the Australian Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) to bolster the line-up.
Otago fared better than expected during their absence, stand-in captain Katey Martin keeping her side in contention with some outstanding batting.
The Sparks can still sneak into the final of the twenty20 tournament but their prospects look healthier in the one-day competition.
To reach the T20 final Otago will need to beat Wellington today by plenty and hope Auckland has a big loss to Canterbury at Hagley Oval.
But the two one-day games against Wellington offer a greater opportunity. Otago is in fourth place with 18 points but can leapfrog third-placed Wellington (22 points) and also get past second-placed Auckland (23 points) if results go its way. Canterbury has already booked a spot in the final, while Northern Districts (six points) and Central Districts (four points) are out of contention.
"If we win both our games and Auckland only win one out of the two [against Canterbury] then we will be in the final," Martin said.
That is the simplest route through, but Otago could go through with just a bonus-point win as well if Auckland lost both games and its net run rate fell below Otago’s.
While the Otago squad has received a boost for the series of games against Wellington, the Blaze will be without key all-rounder Sophie Devine. The White Fern has been sidelined with a thumb injury.
"She is obviously a great power-hitter, so it takes a lot of experience away and 10 overs at the bowling crease as well.
"They have some quality players in Rachel Priest and Fran Wilson over from England. But we have some pretty good plans for them and we’ve got Suzie and Morna back in our line-up, so we are back at full strength now."
Auckland could be without experienced international Sara McGlashan. She tweaked her knee in the WBBL final. Canterbury is unbeaten in the one-day competition so Auckland could well lose both matches which would open the door for Otago.
Martin has been instrumental in getting Otago into a position where it can challenge for the one-day final. She is the competition’s leading scorer with 345 runs at an average of 57.56.
The women’s domestic competition took a four-week break during the WBBL, but Martin has been keeping herself in good nick by training with the New Zealand camp at Lincoln.
"It has been a big break but you just have to trust your game and know that you have hit enough balls to be prepared."
Otago v Wellington
Wellington, today, 3pm
Otago: Suzie Bates, Caitlin Blakely, Leigh Kasperek, Katey Martin, Polly Inglis, Megan Gibbs, Millie Cowan, Victoria Holden, Morna Nielsen, Beth Langston, Georgia Clarke, Kate Heffernan, Ella Brown.
Wellington (from): Eimear Richardson, Amelia Kerr, Suzie McDonald, Rachel Priest, Elizabeth Perry, Frances Wilson, Jess McFadyen, Jess Kerr, Allex Evans, Whetu Charteris, Deanna Doughty, Gemma Krebs, Emma Fulbrook, Rosemary Cockle.
