After being dropped in the first over, the Northern Brave captain unleashed to find the boundary again and again — and again.
She smacked 60 off 37 — a knock that included five fours and four sixes — to help power her side to a five-wicket victory over the Sparks at University Oval yesterday afternoon.
And when Watkin was removed, Caitlin Gurrey anchored the middle of the innings, smacking a half-century of her own off 32 balls before finishing unbeaten on 64.
The Sparks do not walk away empty-handed, having grabbed a bonus point after finishing their innings with 161 runs.
But the Brave were — well, brave — in their hunt for victory.
Watkin and Gurrey pummelled the boundaries at every chance and pushed them through.
The Sparks made their first breakthrough when PJ Watkins, who finished with figures of two for 14, removed opener Tash Wakelin.
Laura Harris only deals in screamers. She dove forward at extra cover to remove Eve Wolland, putting the Brave at 70 for two.
But Watkin simply whipped another six to bring up her half-century off 28 balls.
She was finally removed for 60 off 37 when Caitlin Blakely caught her in the deep.
Felicity Robertson was injected to find a wicket and delivered when she caught and bowled Nensi Patel.
It reduced the Brave to 129 for four, but their boundary options continued to hurt the Sparks.
Sparks wicketkeeper Polly Inglis brilliantly stumped Marina Lamplough in the penultimate over, but Gurrey steered the Brave home.
Earlier, Bella James and Robertson put on 51 runs for the opening wicket before James was run out.
Robertson pulled nicely though the leg side and controlled the first half of the Sparks’ innings.
But she was stranded shy of her half-century as Marama Downes made the breakthrough.
Harris punched her first ball down the ground in trademark style for four and picked up another over backward point.
She pummelled the next down the ground as she helped to ramp up the Sparks’ run rate.
But she soon skied one high and was caught by Wolland to end her 14 from five ball cameo.
It was a big breakthrough for the Brave and had the Sparks 100 for three.
Lamplough bowled Blakely as the momentum started to swing in the visitors’ favour.
Inglis and Anna Browning set out to rebuild the innings, with Inglis taking control.
The Sparks captain (35 off 16) hammered spinner Nensi Patel’s over, smacking two sixes and a four, before she holed out going for another.
Browning (13 off 14) was bowled in the final over as the Sparks finished 161 for six.
They slip to fifth on the women’s Super Smash ladder.
They are next away to Canterbury — who have yet to win a game this season — on Wednesday.
SPARKS V BRAVE
SPARKS
F Robertson c Topp b Downes 49 (45)
B James run out 18 (20)
C Blakely b Lamplough 12 (13)
L Harris c Wolland b Watkin 14 (5)
P Inglis c Downes b Patel 35 (16)
A Browning b Watkin 13 (14)
PJ Watkins not out 9 (6)
E Gray not out 2 (2)
Extras (1b, 1lb, 6w, 1nb):9
Total (for 6wkts, 20 overs):161
Fall: 1-51, 2-85, 3-100, 4-105, 5-143, 6-154
Bowling: M Downes 3-0-35-1, L Boucher 1-0-10-1 (1w), J Watkin 4-0-28-2 (1w), K Knight 3-0-18-0 (1w), N Patel 3-0-28-1, S Bowden 1-0-12-0 (1nb, 3w), M Lamplough 3-0-21-1, E Wolland 1-0-7-0.
BRAVE
J Watkin c Blakely b Browning 60 (37)
T Wakelin c Black b Watkins 14 (13)
E Wolland c Harris b Watkins 6 (7)
C Gurrey not out 64 (39)
N Patel c & b Robertson 8 (12)
M Lamplough st Inglis b Black 3 (6)
K Knight not out 3 (3)
Extras (1b, 1lb, 2w):4
Total (for 5wkts, 19.3 overs):162
Fall: 1-51, 2-70, 3-110, 4-129, 5-152.
Bowling: PJ Watkins 3-0-14-2, E Black 4-0-42-1 (1w), L Kotkamp 2-0-24-0, E Gray 2.3-0-17-0, A Browning 3-0-22-1, C Deerness 2-0-13-0 (1w), F Robertson 2-0-18-1, C Blakely 1-0-10-0.
Result: Brave won by five wickets.
