Auckland skittled for 49
AUCKLAND have made the worst possible start to their national one-day championship defence after a pitiful batting display against Central
Districts.
The Hearts were dismissed for just 49 at Pukekura Park, their lowest ever total in Hallyburton Johnstone Shield cricket – and 23 of their runs came off extras.
The Hinds then knocked off the chase in record time yesterday. They reached the target in 7.3 overs to complete a crushing seven-wicketwin before lunchtime, which is understood to be the fastest fullovers result in the history of the competition.
Auckland’s woes began when they lost the toss and were sent in by CD skipper Anlo van Deventer, before Claudia Green ripped through the top half of the order.
Green finished with careerbest figures of 4-20, while fellow seamer Monique Rees took 3-15.
The CD attack combined to restrict Auckland to the fourth lowest tally by any team in the competition’s history, eclipsing the Hearts’ previous low of 51, which was set against Canterbury 32 years ago.
None of the Auckland batters reached double figures, three were dismissed for a duck and four others made just one. Opener Saachi Shahri top-scored with seven.
Perhaps the only saving grace for the defending champions was that they have a chance to immediately atone for the dismal performance today with all teams playing back-to-back matches.
In Oamaru, run-scoring machine Frankie Mackay combined with Kate Ebrahim to power Canterbury to a 91-run victory over Otago at Centennial Park.
The pair punished Otago’s decision to bowl first, both scoring centuries on the way to a Canterbury record 240-run partnership as the Magicians posted 321-4. With Otago set a revised target of 305 off 46 overs following a rain delay, Caitlin Blakely (78) did her best to keep the Sparks in the contest. However, a middle-order collapse of 4-50 effectively sealed the result.
Mackay made 142 off 157 balls at the top of the order, including 22 boundaries, and took two wickets to boot. It was the Canterbury captain’s eighth ton from her last 14 Shield innings, where over the last three seasons she has scored 1163 runs at an average of 96. Playing her first match in two seasons, Ebrahim returned in style as she smashed 12 fours and two sixes before finishing unbeaten on 106 off 109.