Cricket: Double-header success for Otago in Invercargill

Emma Campbell is a rarity in women's cricket in New Zealand.

She is a leg-spin bowler who played a key role in Otago's wins in its last three State League games.

Otago started the season dismally with four losses but Campbell's guile has helped it win the last three matches.

She has taken 11 wickets in the last three games - four for 34 against Auckland, four for 31 in the first game against Northern Districts on Saturday and a mesmerising three for six runs off only four overs yesterday.

It was the spin twins in action, with Tanya Morrison taking two for 20 off her 10 overs with accurate off-spin bowling.

Campbell also chimed in with some brilliant fielding by taking three superb catches in Otago's one-wicket win on Saturday.

Otago is now fourth on the State League table with 15 points.

Wellington leads the competition with 32 points, Central Districts has 23, Canterbury 20, Otago 15, Northern Districts 8 and Auckland 6.

English international Lynsey Askew played a steadying role at the top of the innings yesterday, scoring 43 off 82 balls in an 88-minute innings that included two fours.

That laid the foundation for Suzie Bates and Sarah Tsukigawa, to add 112 runs for the third wicket.

Bates, who was dismissed for 89 with the score at 202, faced 93 balls and hit 10 fours.

Tsukigawa scored 57 off 79 balls and hit three fours.

Northern Districts was always on the back foot and was dismissed for 128 in the 41st over.

Otago had eked out a one-wicket win on Saturday in a rain-interrupted game on Saturday.

Northern looked to be in command when its third wicket fell at 118, but the rest of the batting collapsed against the accurate bowling of Askew (three for 35) and Campbell (four for 31), to finish 188 for nine.

Tsukigawa and Abigail Kitchin had a lively 50-run partnership for Otago, before Tsukigawa was the fifth batsman dismissed, with Otago still 24 runs short of its target.

Kitchin and Lisa Grant added 19 runs for the sixth wicket but Otago then lost three wickets on 187, before the last pair scraped together two runs to win the game.

 

Add a Comment

OUTSTREAM