2023/24 HALLYBURTON JOHNSTONE SHIELD
Round 7
Saturday, 3 February 2024
Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington
WELLINGTON BLAZE beat CENTRAL HINDS by 13 runs DLS
Wellington Blaze : 4 points
Central Hinds: 0 points
Selected milestones
- Melie Kerr: 50th List A game for Wellington Blaze
- Rebecca Burns: 1,500 List A runs for Wellington Blaze
- Melie Kerr: 3,000 List A runs for Wellington Blaze
- Ocean Bartlett: Career best figures in List A for Central Hinds (4/33)
Fresh off the back of the Dream11 Super Smash Final between the same two teams, it was another tight one as the Blaze and Hinds returned to the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield arena.
On a windy, unseasonal Saturday, the Hinds were ultimately foiled not only by Blaze's bowling attack (again), but Wellington's moody weather as rain arrived when they had had needed a still gettable 32 off 20 balls, with genuine batter Kate Gaging and allrounder Ocean Bartlett still in.
The match was a special one for both teams, with the Viv Stephens Memorial Trophy on the line. Introduced by CD two years ago, the trophy is for the first one-dayer of the season between the two teams that the late Stephens - a WHITE FERN, CDCA former Life Member and Board member, and the Hinds' very first captain - represented in her Domestic career.
The first summer had seen torrential rain all weekend at the Basin, the trophy shared by the teams. Last season, the Hinds won it in Palmerston North, and now the Blaze would lift it outright for the first time after the Hinds slipped behind the DLS when the sudden cloudburst descended.
Earlier, Hinds captain Natalie Dodd has won the toss and elected to bowl, playing to her team's strengths after a strong Super Smash with the ball.
Claudia Green quickly had the wicket of Jess McFadyen but Rebecca Burns and Melie Kerr steadied the ship with a 66-run stand.
It would prove the highest partnership of the innings after the Hinds broke through in the 15th over and made some good progress, until captain Leigh Kasperek dug in and started work on her patient and key knock of 66.
She got late support from Jess Kerr (35 not out off jusy 26 balls) after the young Bartlett had ripped out her career best four-fa, but Kasperek refused to budge until the last over when she was run out.
A total of 244/7 from the hosts meant the Hinds would need less than five runs per over, but the chase got away on them.
Jess Kerr soon had two big cheap wickets in opener Georgia Atkinson and number four allrounder Hannah Rowe, and by then the useful wickets of Dodd (caught off Melie Kerr for 41) and the stylish Emma McLeod (38, stumped off Xara Jetly) had gone, too, at 116/4 just after the halfway mark.
The Hinds were still tracking nicely, mind, and even picked up the pace after the 30-over mark. But they lost important wickets at key times as the Blaze attack kept fighting. It has been a see-saw of a game, but ultimately the Blaze's own strong finish in the first innings mean the Hinds had a steep hill to climb at the death, and that was when the rain made its untimely entrance - marooning their hopes.
Melie Kerr was tight as usual, finishing with 1/39 off her 10 while McFadyen made two stumpings - the result meaning the Wellingtonians would remain top of the table for another day, at least.
