The Otago Sparks' hopes of reaching the domestic Twenty/20
final have been doused with a 13-run loss to Wellington in
Lincoln yesterday.
Both sides went into the fixture with two wins from three
matches. With just five round-robin games before the January
13 final, the game shaped as a semifinal.
The home side posted a competitive 126 for five, with Lauren
Ebsary top-scoring with a hard-hit 43 from 28 deliveries.
Lucy Doolan added 32 at the top of the innings and Suzie
McDonald chipped in with 21.
Otago struggled to keep up with the required run rate. With
two overs remaining the visitors needed an unlikely 27 runs
to snatch victory.
All-rounder Victoria Abbott blasted an unbeaten 33 runs from
33 deliveries to help the Sparks reach 113 for six.
White Ferns and Sparks captain Suzie Bates scored 31 from 32
and Sarah Tsukigawa scored 22.
''We didn't bat well enough in our top five,'' Sparks coach
Warren Lees said.
''We let it get to nine an over too early. You can get nine
an over for three or so overs but you need wickets in hand.''
Michelle Bunkall was the pick of the Wellington bowlers with
three for 13 from four overs, and Sian Ruck took one for 15
from four overs.
Tsukigawa was arguably the best of the Otago seamers with no
wickets for 19 from four overs.
In other games, Northern Districts beat Central Districts by
seven wickets to post its first win of the tournament, and
Canterbury remains unbeaten after dispatching Auckland by 23
runs.
Otago plays Wellington in back-to-back one-day games during
the next two days.
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