
The Sparks’ Australian import took a couple of quick steps to the right and stuck her arm out in hope more than anything and came up clutch.
She plucked the ball inside the ring and when it bobbled from her right to her left hand, Harris still made sure of it.
It sent Blaze opener Georgia Plimmer packing and started to turn things in the Sparks' favour in Wellington.
Plimmer and Australian great Ellyse Perry made a good start as the Blaze chased 144 for victory, but they were stunted through the middle by strong Sparks bowling.
It felt as though the game was heading the way of the Sparks — until Maitland Brown helped swing the momentum back to the Blaze.
She smacked 44 off 25 balls to guide the Blaze to a six-wicket victory this afternoon.
PJ Watkins got the Sparks off to an excellent start, conceding just the one run from the opening over.
Perry dispatched her shot down the ground, the next down fine leg and then another through the gap to nail consecutive boundaries.
Perry and Georgia Plimmer started to clear the ropes with ease as they wrapped up the power play for 46 runs.
But the Sparks struck immediately when Browning took a great catch in the deep to remove Perry for 31.
Harris’s screamer removed Plimmer and the Sparks’ bowlers dot balls started to strangle the Blaze’s chase.
Looking to get moving, Rebecca Burns came down the wicket with a swinging miss and was cheaply stumped by Polly Inglis, leaving the Blaze 74 for three.
The Sparks halted any momentum for the Blaze with the bat, producing 49 dot balls.
But Brown’s knock saw the Blaze home, and she was ably assisted by Jess Kerr’s 30 off 20 balls.
Earlier, Sparks openers Bella James and Felicity Robertson made a tidy start, before Robertson was removed for 16.
Caitlin Blakely lapped nicely and James split the fielders for the Sparks to finish the power play 43 for one.
James scooped a shot to Jess Kerr to be dismissed for 29.
Enter danger woman Harris.
She looked to sweep her opening shot — only to be bowled for a duck by Nicole Baird.
That put the Sparks at 53 for three in the eighth over.
Inglis took her time to get settled. once she did, she was away smacking a six down the ground and another cleared the ropes.
Inglis timed her shots perfectly, coming down the wicket to meet the ball and put her foot down.
But she got caught out of her crease and was stumped by wicketkeeper Jess McFadyen, a timely wicket for the Blaze.
Anna Browning lasted seven balls before she skied a shot to Baird and put the Sparks 101 for five in the 15th over.
Blakely, who top-scored with 36, was run out in the penultimate.
Eva Gray cleared the boundary to start the final over and a direct hit from Perry saw Watkins run out on the final ball.
That saw the Sparks wrap up at 143 for seven.









