Kotkamp shines for Sparks in dominant win

Lousia Kotkamp. File photo: Peter McIntosh
Lousia Kotkamp. File photo: Peter McIntosh
One young prospect and one old(er) hand guided the Sparks to a second straight win in the Super Smash today.

They followed their impressive opener at Molyneux Park with a bonus-point win over the Central Hinds at the same venue.

After the Sparks restricted the Hinds to a moderate total of 116 for eight, they chased the target down smoothly and professionally in the 15th over with seven wickets to spare.

The early star for the home side, who battled in the domestic one-day competition but have made a cracking start to the T20 season, was New Zealand under-19 medium-pacer Louisa Kotkamp.

She might lack express pace but she clearly possesses plenty of cricket smarts and the ability to mix things up from ball to ball.

Kotkamp, Emma Black and Eva Gray combined to strangle the Hinds, who won the toss but limped to 24 for three off the six-over power play period.

After openers Bryony Smith and Emma McLeod fell cheaply, Hannah Rowe went scoreless off eight balls before pulling Kotkamp weakly to close-in fielder Bella James.

Kerry Tomlinson (12 off eight balls) looked dangerous briefly before she was deceived by a Kotkamp slower ball and stumped by Polly Inglis.

That left the Hinds on 32 for four and Kotkamp with the excellent figures of three for 24 off four overs in just her second Super Smash game.

Rosemary Mair grafted away for 33 off 32 balls, and Kate Gaging was unbeaten on 19 off 25 as the Hinds batted out their 20 overs but knew their tally was more respectable than competitive.

Felicity Robertson gave the Sparks’ reply a rollicking start by taking 14 off Mair’s first over.

Mair had her revenge when Robertson, having made 23 off 15 and looking well set, took on Mair’s arm and was rather needlessly run out pushing for a second.

Enter Laura Harris, the 35-year-old Australian import who made a stunning start to her Sparks career with a world record 50 off 15 balls on Sunday.

Harris clearly knows only one way to bat and she gave the Alexandra crowd another entertaining show.

Perhaps she did not strike the ball quite so cleanly as she did at the weekend but she still cleared the ropes once, hit three fours and raced to 24 off 16 before holing out to a diving Mair.

The back of the chase had been broken but there was still time for Caitlin Blakely (32 not out off 28) and Polly Inglis (19 off 14) to play some nice shots and calmly get the Sparks to a second straight bonus point.

The Sparks next head to Mt Maunganui to play the Brave on Sunday.