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The Otago Sparks went down to the Northern Spirit at Lincoln last night and wrote their own demise thanks to a wayward bowling effort.
The Northern Spirit got up in the last over to take the win in the twenty/20 contest, though it did its best to lose the game, conceding three run outs in its innings.
After the Sparks had posted a competitive 145, the bowlers did not back up the solid batting effort and gave away far too many easy runs.
Going up against a Spirit side, which had also yet to win a game, the Sparks bowled 21 wides and, with the match very tight, that was too many. Northern was not too accurate at the bowling crease either, with 13 wides but that was still well short of the Sparks and, ultimately, the difference between the teams.
Heidi Arndt clinched the game for her side at the end with a well compiled 24, from 16 balls, as the Spirit side had four wickets to spare and three balls left when it won the game.
The loss leaves the Sparks on the bottom of the table, and that elusive first win of theseason still awaits.
The side just needs to put together a complete game and it should be able to bag a victory.
The Northern Spirit won the toss and put the Sparks in to bat and though 145 was a competitive total it was not quite enough.
Suzie Bates played well at the top of the order, hitting round the ground while wickets fell at regular intervals around her.
When she was fifth out for 32, with just 57 runs on the board, the Otago innings could have gone downhill but Victoria Abbott combined with Susie Burrows to push the score on.
Abbott hit nine boundaries in her innings and ended with an unbeaten 53.
Otago started well in the field and snared a couple of quick wickets.
However, Australian import Hannah Trollip and Nicola Browne came together and shared a 64-run partnership.
They were separated by Ashley White and while Northern got a touch of the speed wobbles it eventually got home.
The teams clash again at Lincoln today in a one-day game before a twenty/20 match tomorrow.