2025/26
HALLYBURTON JOHNSTONE SHIELD
Rounds Three and Four | 29 and 30 November 2025
• At MainPower Oval, Rangiora
Canterbury Magicians beat Auckland Hearts by 155 runs
Canterbury Magicians lost to Auckland Hearts by 6 wickets
• At Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
Central Hinds lost to Wellington Blaze by 45 runs
Central Hinds beat Wellington Blaze by 129 runs (DLS)
• At Cobham Oval, Whangārei
Northern Districts beat Otago Sparks by 47 runs
Northern Districts beat Otago Sparks by 2 runs on the last ball (DLS)
Northern captain Jess Watkin | PHOTOSPORT
Northern Districts pulled off one of the most nail-biting finishes in this season’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield by beating the Otago Sparks on the very last delivery in Round Four.
On a day that stretched into the evening after two rain interruptions, the result left the defending champion Sparks still winless after the first four games, and reinforced the ‘new world order’ in this competition with the Sparks at the bottom instead of the customary top; and Jess Watkin’s Northern — the only team never to have won this trophy — bounding up the table into second.
Earlier in the afternoon, the Hinds had taken a DLS win against the Blaze, and the Hearts had beaten the Magicians in Rangiora, with all of those teams having split the winnings across the two games on the weekend and the Magicians getting their first win on the board in the process.
But ND made it two from two, the big mover after Watkin took the ball herself for the critical final over in Kauri Country.
Despite Emma Black sitting (as usual) in the top bunch of wicket-takets nationally, the injury-hit Sparks have been camping on struggle street, missing the x-factor of match-winning WHITE FERNS Suzie Bates and Eden Carson.
Northern conversely have now won three on the trot at Cobham Oval, bouncing back quickly from a first-round misstep against the Blaze.
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The next day, they beat the Blaze by 136 runs, then beat the Sparks by 47 runs, and 2 runs [DLS] in the nailbiter.
This weekend sees the Sparks head into back-to-back games against the Central Hinds and, if they’re beaten twice again, they may find their dreams of making another yet final (having won this title an impressive three times in four years) are already gone.
Experienced batter Caitlin Gurrey, aka Gurrey in a hurry, has been one of the dependable Northern stars.
She produced half centuries in both the latest wins at Cobham, top-scoring with a run-a-ball 71 on Saturday and backing up the following day with ND’s top score again, this time 54 off 80 — with Holly Topp’s 51 in support, the pair producing a crucial century stand for the sixth wicket.
So despite Black’s 4/37 and some tight work from Anna Browning and the wee dot Chloe Deerness (below), Northern made it to 218/9.
In reply, the Sparks eked out only middling partnerships, while Northern’s attack by and large kept it tight — Kayley Knight returning three for 38 off her eight overs, and keeper Topp capping off a good day with three catches.
The mid-innings rain saw the Sparks’ target revised to 202 off 41 overs, and with one to go they were within reach at 194/5 with Browning and Caitlin Blakely at the crease.
But Watkin is one of the wiliest spinners on the circuit, and they were permitted only a single apiece off the first three balls of the last over. Then she struck, Browning caught in deep for 36, and all that remained for the Sparks was fluster and desperation.
Northern head into this weekend’s top-of-the-table clashes with the Auckland Hearts level just one point behind their opponents, and level on points with the Hinds.
The Blaze, Magicians and of course Sparks are all trying to play catch-up, knowing full well that the days of Northern being the regular wooden-spooners are long gone.
SNAPSHOT
Points after four rounds:
14 Auckland Hearts
13 Northern Districts
13 Central Hinds
9 Wellington Blaze
5 Canterbury Magicians
0 Otago Sparks
THIS WEEKEND'S FIXTURES
Rounds Five and Six of 10
From 10.30am Saturday and Sunday
- Central Hinds v Otago Sparks at Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
- Auckland Hearts v Northern Districts at Kennards Hire Community Oval, Eden Park, Auckland
- Canterbury Magicians v Wellington Blaze at MainPower Oval, Rangiora
Free livestreams: NZC YouTube
