2020/21
ROUND THREE
Central Hinds beat Wellington Blaze by 8 wickets (bonus point)
Donnelly Park, Levin
5 December 2020
SELECTED MILESTONES:
Mikaela Greig 50th List A match for Hinds
Jess Watkin career best List A bowling
This game of cricket's too easy for the Central Hinds right now.
The Hallyburton Johnstone Shield leaders backed up their seven and 10 wicket victories against defending champions the Hearts a fortnight ago with an eight-wicket win over Wellington Blaze in round three, and again began the second innings of their one-dayer before lunchtime for an early finish and a third bonus point on the bounce.
The hosts timed it perfectly as well, with rain brushing the ground at lunchtime and again almost as soon as they had hit the winning runs.
Despite missing WHITE FERNS opening bowler in Rosemary Mair - who was no doubt watching the livestream from managed isolation, the Hinds' attack is firing as a pack and today it was spinner Jess Watkin's turn to shine with a career-best 4-13 in the cold conditions with a stiff cross-wind blowing at blustery Donnelly Park.
Anlo van Deventer celebrates a Watkin wicket | PHOTOSPORT
Home captain Anlo van Deventer had sent the Blaze in, but for the first 10 overs things looked to be getting off to a promising start for the visitors - the Blaze still looking for their first win after two tight losses against ND.
Strong ex-CD player Rebecca Burns and in-form Jess McFadyen - coming off her second century - loomed as key threats to the Hinds, and put 49 on the board in the first 10 overs.
Rebecca Burns | PHOTOSPORT
But when first change Monique Rees had Burns caught after her run-a-ball 24, and McFadyen departed a handful of overs later after to Melissa Hansen, things rapidly unravelled for the Wellington side that was missing their WBBL stars.
McFadyen's 25 would prove the top score as the side spiralled from 88/3 to 111 all out, doing it tough through the last 16.9 overs while spinners Watkin and Georgia Atkinson ripped out the middle order.
In her 50th one-day game for the Hinds, allrounder Mikaela Greig then celebrated her milestone match with 2-5 off her three overs, and six of the Blaze's middle to lower order were left scoreless before the unlucky number of Nelson's came into play with the 10th wicket in the 39th over.
Watkin dropped down to first drop to allow Emily Cunningham an opportunity to open with the experienced Natalie Dodd, and the pair ticked off almost a third of the target before Cunningham hit her wicket.
Xara Jetly (above | PHOTOSPORT) then claimed a big second wicket in Watkin, stumped by McFadyen on 29, but the target was just too low to trouble the Hinds as Dodd (37 not out) and van Deventer (21 not out) cruised home for victory with an ocean of overs to spare.
The Blaze will be hoping for fine weather tomorrow for another crack in Round 4 while .
