Captain Jess Watkin keep Hinds hopes alive
The Central Stags and Hinds posted vastly contrasting results in their Dream 11 Super Smash double headers against Wellington on Friday and Auckland on Saturday.
Both were played at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth, the Stags missed by 42 runs against the Wellington Firebirds and then went agonisingly close with a two run loss to the Auckland Aces.
In contrast, the Hinds lost to Wellington Blaze by 49 runs on Friday, but reversed that form with an excellent 22 run victory over the Auckland Hearts on Saturday thanks to skipper, Whanganui allrounder Jess Watkin.
Watkin had a day to remember to lead her side to victory over the previously unbeaten Auckland Hearts.
Winning the toss and batting first, the Hinds skipper blasted 5 fours and 3 sixes inside the power play to have the Hinds racing along after six overs.
Watkin brought up her 50 from just 26 balls with fellow opener Emily Cunningham providing good support.
Anna Peterson brought herself into the attack in the ninth over and nabbed the key wicket of Watkin (56 off 31).
That breakthrough allowed the Hearts to put the squeeze on with several tight overs dragging the run rate back towards seven.
Further wickets proved hard to come by as Cunningham (45) and Natalie Dodd (40) batted together until the final over. Their partnership gave the innings stability and then impetus as the Hinds reached 161/3.
The start of the Hearts chase mirrored the Hinds' innings with a couple of tight overs followed by a flurry of boundaries by the captain. Peterson raced to 27 and the Hearts passed 50 in the seventh over.
Watkin turned the match again in the Hinds' favour with the wickets of Peterson and Saachi Shahri from consecutive balls. Holly Huddleston fell soon after and the Hearts were struggling at 54/3.
Bella Armstrong joined Katie Perkins and the pair gave the innings an immediate boost with 14 runs off the 10th over. Perkins took 13 runs from the 12th over and the match was in the balance.
Watkin turned to Rosemary Mair for a wicket and the pace bowler delivered in style by dismissing Armstrong (23 off 18) on her way to a wicket maiden.
Perkins (53* off 42) kept the Hearts in the hunt but some tight overs at the end sealed an important win for the hosts.
The win is the Hinds' third from seven games to keep them firmly in the playoff race.
The Wellington Blaze remain unbeaten with another strong all-round showing and a 49-run over the Hinds on Friday.
Promising Palmerston North 16-year-old Ashtuti Kumar made her Hinds debut at Pukekura Park on Saturday after a late change to the squad for the match against the Auckland Hearts.
Suva-born, Manawatu-raised Kumar replaced Whanganui's Kerry Tomlinson who dislocated and broke a finger while batting against Wellington Blaze at the same ground on Friday, while Melissa Hansen also dislocated a finger.
Allrounder Kumar was fresh off starring with both bat and ball in the NZC Under-21 national championships won by Central Districts last week at Lincoln.
Meanwhile, South African import Devon Conway opened for the Firebirds against the Stags doing most of the damage with his 89 runs off just 50 balls to help set a target of 196/8.
Black Cap Jimmy Neesham chipped in with a quick 38 off 25.
Despite four Stags batsmen making double figures in reply, including Kieran Noema-Barnett's 58 and opener George Worker's 31, the chase proved a bridge too far and 154 was their lot.
Ollie Newton was rampant with ball in hand, taking five Stags wickets for 45 runs off just four overs.
On Saturday the Auckland Aces broken their Super Smash duck with a two-run win against the Stags off the back of a superb half-century from Mark Chapman.
Chapman smashed 63 not out from 29 balls as Auckland made 210/4 from their 20 overs after winning the toss.
Despite a good foundation from Worker, with 62 from 39 balls, the Stags steadily fell behind the asking rate and looked to be well out of the contest when they slumped to 105/4 in the 13th over.
However, captain and former Whanganui rep Tom Bruce (67 from 41 balls) found support from Josh Clarkson who scored 25 from 15 balls before departing at 181/5 with just eight balls remaining in their innings and 30 still needed for a most unlikely win.
In walked Willem Ludick and he refused to concede, smashing 27 not out from just seven balls, with two fours and three sixes, taking the home side to 208/7 and two runs shy of victory.
Iain Hyndman
Whanganui Chronicle 30/12/19