It was not quite the perfect weekend but the Otago Sparks were left smiling after a rare win against Auckland yesterday.
A day after losing the first one-day game in a State League doubleheader, the Sparks chased down 178 to beat the Hearts by six wickets at Alexandra's Molyneux Park yesterday.
The batting heroes at the sunbaked ground were Katy Martin, who looked good in rushing to 50 off 63 balls opening the batting, and middle-order batsman Abigail Kitchin.
Kitchin and Emma Campbell had been thrust into rescue mode when the Sparks collapsed from 96 for one to 100 for four, with star batsmen Suzie Bates and Sarah Tsukigawa back in the pavilion for a combined nine runs.
Patiently, Kitchin and Campbell set about pushing on to the target, knowing their run rate was fine and they simply needed to preserve their wickets.
They reached their 50 partnership in 70min and victory was achieved with 10 balls to spare.
Kitchin was left 45 not out (96 balls) and Campbell was on a useful 22.
Earlier, Campbell had produced a superb spell with the ball to take four for 34 in 10 overs as Auckland ruined a promising start.
Opener Vic Lind (91 off 122 balls) scored freely but received little support.
Tsukigawa starred with both bat and ball for the Sparks on Saturday but could not prevent Otago slipping to a two-wicket defeat.
Otago won the toss and chose to bat, reaching 162 all out in the 48th over.
Tsukigawa played a lone hand, scoring 73 off 85 balls (seven fours) to help the Sparks recover from the perilous position of 96 for seven.
Campbell played a worthy supporting role, pushing to 24 off 47 balls before becoming one of three Otago batsmen to be run out.
It looked as if Auckland would cruise to victory as openers Michelle Lynch (69) and Lind (23) and No 3 Megan Murphy (27) laid the groundwork.
But the Sparks refused to give up. Tsukigawa took three for 27 off her 10 overs and Bates had three for 44, and Auckland stumbled over the finish line.
