ROUND THREE
Northern Spirit lost to the Central Hinds by four wickets at St Paul's Collegiate, Te Kowhai on 2 December 2017
- Regina Lili'i: Career best score (previous: 31*)
- Rosemary Mair: Career best score (previous: 17*)
- Hannah Rowe 50th List A match for Central Hinds
She led them onto the field in her 50th one-day match for the Hinds, then led them off it after hitting the winning runs. Hannah Rowe's milestone day couldn't have got too much better after the Central Hinds continued their winning ways against a frustrated Northern Spirit.
The day before, they had broken their egg in the T20 competition, now the visitors had bounced back in the one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield as well, getting on the board in round three with a well controlled chase in the outskirts of Hamilton.
The Hinds had been asked to bowl first by Spirit captain Nat Dodd but, apart from one solid partnership in the middle order, they met little resistance from their hosts who got off to a tame start and then petered out at the death for a middling total of 170 all out in just 44.3 overs.
Former WHITE FERN Felicity Leydon-Davis (29) knuckled down in the middle order to construct the 41-run stand for the fifth wicket that helped stabilise the innings, but her dogged determination was stopped by Rowe who crucially broke the key stand in the 33rd over.
Regina Lili'i was Spirit's last hope. PHOTOSPORT
That left Samoan international Regina Lili'i to hold it together, but she lost a string of tailend partners as Mikaela Greig picked up a quick three-for before Lili'i herself became the final wicket to fall, having top-scored with 52 off 59 balls, but unable to see out the overs.
Rowe had finished with an economical 1-17 off her eight overs, but would play an even more valuable role with the bat after the Hinds found their chase on the balance at the 30-over mark.
Three down for just 29, captain Anlo van Deventer had started the recovery with Kerry Tomlinson (34), the pair combining well for 61 runs before van Deventer's return catch to Feala Vaelua Pula brought Rowe to the middle in the 25th over.
There she remained until the advent of the 34th, by which time just one run was required for victory after a steady unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 60 runs with Rosemary Mair (34*, with Rowe reaching 35*) that saw the Hinds' spirits lifted once again at the muggy and warm college ground.
The Spirit will have one more shot at winning against the Hinds tomorrow when the teams meet at the same venue for Round Four, the match beginning at the earlier time of 10am. Entry to all Hallyburton Johnstone Shield cricket is free.
