Cricket: Sparks break through for first win

Otago Sparks opener Katey Martin plays through the off side on the way to scoring 90 at the...
Otago Sparks opener Katey Martin plays through the off side on the way to scoring 90 at the University Oval yesterday. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
A win at last - although it could have not been any closer.

The Otago Sparks claimed their first victory of the season, beating the Central Hinds by one run at the University Oval yesterday.

The home side scored 231 for five wickets, riding on the back of a fine 90 by Katey Martin, and then just held off the visiting team for a first victory after 10 losses to start the season.

Central needed 14 runs off the final over and got the target down to four off the final ball.

But Sandee Hui could only get an edge to the final ball and it dribbled down to third man with the batsmen scampering through for a couple.

It was a close-run thing in the final over but Otago could have made it safer, dropping two catches in the 48th over, and looking sloppy in the field at times.

Sparks coach Nathan King though was happy with the win, saying it did not matter how many they won by, as long as they won.

"We put ourselves in a pretty good position with 10 overs to go. We probably could have executed a bit better in those final overs but we did enough and that is what mattered," King said.

"We have not been too far away in some games and then far away in others. There is no doubt this win will help as some players have been lacking in confidence."

Otago won the toss and decided to bat and was put in a good position by Martin and Kylie Crowley, who shared a 76-run opening stand. Martin then shared a 85-run stand with Lisa Grant and Otago perhaps could have scored more at the completion of the 50 overs.

In reply, Central took a while to get going but when Sara McGlashan and captain Rachel Priest came together it looked bleak for Otago.

It turned the score over reasonably easily but spinner Tanya Morrison and medium-pacer Victoria Abbott then applied the brakes to the Central total.

Priest was then bowled by Morrison attempting to cut the ball while McGlashan went in the 40th over when she tried to hit Natasha Miles down the legside but only managed to spoon the ball back to the bowler.

The equation kept getting stepper for the visiting team and Abbott bowled a tidy penultimate over, conceding just five runs.

Captain Suzie Bates bowled the final over and just did enough to secure her side the victory.

Morrison, Bates and Miles all picked up two wickets for the Sparks.

The sides meet in a twenty/20 match today, starting at 10.30am.

 

Add a Comment

OUTSTREAM