The Sparks will seek to make it three wins on the bounce to start the Super Smash when they play the Northern Brave in Mount Maunganui tomorrow.
Their holiday spell in Alexandra was most enjoyable as they produced some excellent all-round cricket to win both games and get back some confidence after a difficult start to the season in 50-over cricket.
New Australian import Laura Harris became an instant cult hero when she thrashed a world record half-century off just 15 balls to lead the Sparks to a six-wicket win over the Canterbury Magicians.
Two days later, youngster Laura Kotkamp and Emma Black shone with the ball before Harris, Felicity Robertson, Caitlin Blakely and Polly Inglis contributed with the bat in a seven-wicket win over the Central Hinds.
It was the ideal start to both the campaign and life without long-term injured White Ferns stars Suzie Bates and Eden Carson.
The Sparks have finished runners-up in the T20 competition twice in the past four summers and would dearly love to be the last team standing, nine years after their sole Super Smash title.
The Brave’s form is tricky to gauge as they had one game rained out and they were thumped by 61 runs by the Wellington Blaze — the two-time defending champions — in their other clash.
Northern are the only women’s team without a Super Smash title but they have made the elimination final in each of the past two seasons.
Jess Watkin and Caitlin Gurrey will be their big hopes of scoring runs, while Marama Downes is the bowler the Sparks might need to watch carefully while they attack others.
The Volts men will seek to carry over the confidence they gained from an outstanding win over the Stags on Tuesday when they play their Brave counterparts after the women’s game tomorrow.
The Brave men have also had a loss and a game abandoned.
Super Smash
Mount Maunganui, tomorrow
— Sparks v Brave, 2.10pm
— Volts v Brave, 5.55pm
