ROUND FOUR
AUCKLAND HEARTS v NORTHERN SPIRIT
Colin Maiden Park, Auckland
2 December 2018
Result: Auckland Hearts won by 7 wickets
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There was a heartfelt ovation at Colin Maiden Park as Auckland Hearts opener Lauren Down (below) finally sealed her maiden List A century in a seven-wicket win over Northern Spirit, to keep her side in touch with the early leaders.
With captain Maddy Green, Down also set a new second-wicket partnership record in one-day matches between the two teams, breaking a 17-year-old mark of 99 that had been set by Emily Drumm and Michelle Lynch in in 2001/02.
Green and Down were in formidable touch. PHOTOSPORT
It was a day of statchat during the match with Arlene Kelly playing her 50th List-A game for the Hearts, and Katie Perkins later crossing the 2000-run mark in her List-A career.
Arlene Kelly gained her 50th cap
Down's 108 was one of two maiden centuries in the match, Spirit opener Katie Gurrey (below) getting the day's statchat underway with 102 off 113 balls, after having been sent in by Green.
With support for Gurrey from Bernadine Bezuidenhout (47), Spirit had set the Hearts a chase of 221, but the defending champions cruised home with almost 10 overs to spare.
Down's century was all the more poignant after the 23-year-old had just missed out, dismissed for 96 in the first round of the season while just one stroke away from hitting the winning runs in a four-wicket win over the Canterbury Magicians.
Today's victory backed up the Hearts' 7-run DLS win over the Spirit yesterday on Round 3. Round Five begins this coming Saturday in Dunedin, Christchurch and Hamilton.
Have you ever seen a more ice cool celebration from someone who has just reached 100? What a knock from Katie Gurrey! #ndtogether #gothespirit pic.twitter.com/9vgWHEMTmE
— Northern Districts (@ndcricket) December 1, 2018
