ROUND NINE
With her third boundary in the space of four balls, Sara McGlashan pummelled not only the winning runs, but brought up her own unbeaten half century to ensure the Auckland Hearts stayed in the race for the 2018 NZC Women’s Twenty20 crown.
Composed McGlashan (51* off 46) and captain Maddy Green (56* off 41, above) had also shared an undefeated partnership of exactly 100 thanks to that last stroke off spinner Jess Watkin, a third-wicket stand comprising 78 balls as they ticked off an eight-wicket win over the Central Hinds with a healthy 3.4 overs to spare.
Scores
The Hearts had been chasing a gettable 115 for the win, having had their opponents in a tough spot early on by confining Rebecca Burns, Emily Cunningham and Anlo van Deventer to single figures — the Hinds’ top order simply struggling to get going against the disciplined pace Auckland attack and Anna Peterson’s attacking spin.
Peterson was everywhere, bowling two of her victims, taking a return catch and a grab in the field that stopped van Deventer. She wheeled her way to a haul of 3-20 while teenager Bella Armstrong probed away to net arguably the biggest wicket, that of hard-hitting opener Jess Watkin who made way in the seventh over.
Besides Watkin’s 24, the only other score of note from the Hinds was young WHITE FERN Hannah Rowe’s unbeaten 35 (above) — Huddleston (below) coming back to have a crack at her and having a hand in the last two wickets that fell at the other end, the Hinds eight down by the end of their innings.
Already the Hallyburton Johnston Shield one-day champions, the win was crucial for the Hearts’ destiny in the short format competition, keeping them in mathematical touch with frontrunners Wellington Blaze heading to the final round and decisive day of the season. However, Blaze can seal the title with a win, or even a washout, on the final day tomorrow.
