Amanda Cooper impressed with bat and ball as State Wellington Blaze repelled State Auckland Hearts’ charge to secure a Twenty20 victory at the capital’s Barton Oval.
Cooper struck 22 from 14 balls to lift the Blaze to 134 for four batting first, with Megan Wakefield scored 31, as did Sarah Sim in a career-best.
Cooper then returned to take four for 21 as Auckland fell just six runs short at a cost of eight wickets, despite the efforts of captain Ingrid Cronin-Knight, who made 54.
