The Sparks were super in the first two rounds of the T20 competition but they copped the ‘‘smash’’ half of the name today.
After dismissing the Northern Brave for 138, they crumbled for 114 in the Super Smash game in Mt Maunganui.
It was a check to the momentum the Sparks had built after winning their opening two games so impressively in Alexandra.
At various stages yesterday, they looked in control, or close to it, but T20 is all about applying pressure, and the Brave did more of that in more key moments.
Perhaps the critical stage of the game was the first quarter of the Sparks’ run chase.
Felicity Robertson hit a ramp shot for an early boundary but 12 of the first 17 deliveries the Sparks faced were dot balls, so pressure built immediately.
Bella James hit an ugly cross-bat shot against Lucy Boucher that was taken low by Jess Watkin, and Robertson got impatient and hit Boucher straight to mid on.
Caitlin Blakely looked to ignite the chase and hit two boundaries off Boucher, the second a glorious cover drive, but when she was immediately trapped lbw, Polly Inglis fell for a second-ball duck, and PJ Watkins was stumped, the Sparks were in trouble at 31 for five.
Anna Browning and Olivia Gain showed admirable composure in a rescue act that looked like getting the visitors on track.
Gain, brought into the team because star import Laura Harris has zipped home to play 50-over cricket for her Queensland side, raced to 36 off 25, hitting five fours and one six.
Browning was a calm presence at the other end as the pair added 56 for the sixth wicket.
But when Gain tried to loft Marama Downes and was caught at deep extra cover, Eva Gray was bowled for a duck, and Browning was run out, the end came quickly.
Boucher finished with the excellent figures of four for 16 from four overs for the Brave.
The Sparks earlier did well to haul back a Brave innings that at one stage looked like easily surpassing 150.
Northern made a positive start through Watkin (17 off 11) and Jo Gardner (19 off 20), Watkin thrashing a six and a four off consecutive Gray deliveries before being bowled while going for one slog too many.
Chloe Deerness induced Gardner into a mis-timed lob, and when Laura Kotkamp pulled off a marvellous reflex catch off her own bowling to remove the dangerous Caitlin Gurrey, it was advantage Sparks.
Northern, however, dominated overs 10 to 14 as the diminutive and entertainingly unorthodox Nensi Patel looked ominous, swiping back-to-back boundaries off Browning.
Patel moved to 36 off 31 balls (four boundaries) before trying to hit Kotkamp straight down the ground but lacking the power to beat the fielder inside the circle.
Marina Lamplough kept things moving for the Brave, hitting a reverse shot to the boundary then sweeping orthodoxly for another boundary as 20 runs were plundered off one Gray over.
Cue a massive reversal of fortune as the Sparks utterly dominated the rest of the innings,
taking the final six wickets for just four runs off 16 deliveries.
Eve Wolland hit a six before skying Watkins straight to Blakely, and four balls later Watkins deceived the dangerous Lamplough in flight and bowled her for 35 (23 balls).
A stumping, a bowled and two fairly lazy run outs later and the innings was over, the Sparks buoyant — temporarily, at least — after their suffocating finish.
Watkins (two for 12 off four) and Deerness (two for 16 off 3.4) bowled exceptional spells.
The Sparks head up the road to play the Hearts in Auckland on Tuesday.
