Then, in the afternoon, Isabella watched and waited for her new hero — Otago Volts all-rounder Christi Viljoen — to do his.
Isabella, her twin brother, Sam, and their friend, George Currie, were among the 700 eager fans at the University of Otago Oval on Saturday cheering on Otago in the Ford Trophy grand final against Wellington Firebirds.
Initially, it looked as if the Keas star player might not get to see any of the match at all, when Otago Volts slumped to 57 for seven.
However, Isabella’s new hero scored 87 not out, to give the Volts a fighting chance.
Viljoen’s batting efforts were heroic but were not enough to get the Volts home, Wellington eventually winning by three wickets.
Win, lose or draw, Isabella was going to enjoy her first Volts match though — with players’ signatures all over her bat and an autograph on her arm from Viljoen to boot.
