They strung together back-to-back victories against Northern Districts to moved up the standings in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.
"It was a good weekend", coach Craig Cumming said.
"[On Saturday] we did the job with the ball and [yesterday] it was a real team effort.
"We were good with the ball and we had to fight harder.
"What I asked for was a bit more discipline with the bat and a bit more ownership and we got that [yesterday].
The Sparks rolled Northern Districts for 194 at the University Oval yesterday.
Caitlin Blakely stroked a classy 62 and Felicity Robertson added 49 not out to guide the side to a convincing seven-wicket win with nearly 18 overs to spare.
Emma Black set-up Saturday’s five-wicket win with a haul of four for 21 from 10 overs to help dismiss Northern Districts for 188.
Robertson (42) and Polly Inglis (36) added 72 for the fourth wicket and Suzie Bates (33 not out) and Olivia Gain (44 not out) put on an unbroken stand of 84 to clinch the win.
Black got some good luck early yesterday. Her half-hearted appeal for lbw against opener Tash Wakelin looked unlikely to be successful.
The delivery appeared destined to swing past leg.
Molly Loe got early reward as well. Nensi Patel spooned an edge to Bella James at gully.
But the dangerous pairing of Caitlin Gurrey and Jess Watkin put on 63 for the third wicket to get the innings back on track.
Gurrey was brutal on anything short or leggish. She swivelled away a series of boundaries.
But she saved most of her power for Chloe Deerness, who she dispatched for a couple of sixes down the ground.
She was on top of the young spinner until she clonked a catch to Suzie Bates at midwicket for a hard-hit 48 from 52 balls.
Watkin went soon after. She tried to paddle a delivery from Eden Carson behind square and found the hands of Saffron Wilson instead.
The visitors had collapsed from 90 for two to 92 for four and had some rebuilding to do to post a challenging target.
Sam Barriball added 34. But with wickets falling regularly, Northern was never able to lift the tempo and were bowled out for under 200.
Otago opener Wilson got a French cut past her off stump. She survived a simple caught and bowled, a diving effort at backward point and several run out opportunities.
There was an outside edge which went for four as well.
Another three lives and she would be a cat. But she is also in possession of some easy timing, and her score mounted quickly despite all the calamity.
Eventually she had used up all her luck and was lbw for 31.
But Blakely was in imperious form from the moment she arrived at the crease. Her timing and placement saw the ball disappear all around the venue.
Her wagon wheel was an object of great beauty; the dings in the middle of her bat another sign of class.
The diminutive 28-year-old raised her 10th list A half-century from 47 balls.
"The key for Caitlin is just being confident and you saw how well she went against spin or pace", Cumming said.
Robertson grew in confidence the longer she was at the crease as well, and started matching the pace set by Blakely.
The pair put on 73 for the third wicket. Blakely’s fine knock was cut short when got a faint edge.
Victory was in sight, though.
The Sparks will host the Auckland Hearts in back-to-back fixtures in Dunedin mid-month.
They will be competing for a place in the final on February 25.
HALLYBURTON JOHNSTONE SHIELD
Northern Districts
N Wakelin lbw Black 2
N Patel c James b Loe 9
C Gurrey c Bates b Deerness 48
J Watkin c Wilson b Carson 18
S Barriball c Bates b Robertson 34
E Richardson c James b Loe 23
M Lamplough c Gain b Deerness 5
H Topp c Gain b Robertson 11
J Prasad lbw Bates 20
L Boucher run out (Black/Carson) 0
S Naidu not out 3
Extras (b 1, lb 3, w 17): 21
Total (all out, 47.3 overs): 194
Fall: 1-13, 2-27, 3-90, 4-92, 5-127, 6-152, 7-163, 8-177, 9-179, 10-194.
Bowling: E Black 9-0-30-1 (8w), M Loe 10-1-21-2 (3w), F Robertson 10-1-30-2 (2w), E Carson 9-0-49-1 (3w), C Deerness 5-0-43-2, S Bates 4.3-0-17-1.
Otago
S Wilson lbw Naidu 31
B James c Topp b Lamplough 25
C Blakely c Topp b Patel 62
F Robertson not out 49
P Inglis not out 8
Extras (w 19, nb 1): 20
Total (3 wkts, 32.2 overs): 195
Fall: 1-54, 2-96, 3-169.
Bowling: L Boucher 5-0-29-0 (6w), S Naidu 7-0-45-1 (3w), J Prasad 4-0-26-0 (3w), J Watkin 5-0-34-0, N Patel 9.2-0-39-1 (1w), M Lamplough 1-0-11-1 (2w), N Wakelin 1-0-11-0.
Result: Otago won by seven wickets.
