Northern double up against Otago
Northern Districts have done the double over Otago in Alexandra.
Their men’s team scored an five-wicket win over the Volts in a low-scoring affair at Molyneux Park, while the women’s team provided more fireworks and boundaries in their seven-wicket triumph.
In the women’s match, Otago’s openers Millie Cowan (61 off 47) and Alice Davidson-Richards (58 off 40) put on 91 for the first wicket to help set up a competitive total of 150-7.
The pair were going along well in the 11th over when Alisha Rout bowled Cowan. That would be one of three wickets for the spinner who helped apply the brakes to Otago’s innings with a tight spell of 4-15 off four overs.
Northern’s chase was given a winning impetus by Katie Gurrey, who extended her lead at the top of the run-scoring standings with 79 off 51 balls – her career top score and third half century in five T20 matches this season.
Fellow opener Bernadine Bezuidenhout played secondfiddle while Gurrey was at the crease, but took over after she departed, clearing her shoulders on the way to 49 off 36.
But Ella Brown got her wicket in the 16th over, and then bowled Brooke Halliday for a first-ball duck, but Northern eventually got to the target with 13 balls to spare.
In the men’s match, Otago produced a battling batting performance on what appeared to be a low and slow pitch, scoring 99-7 from their 20 overs.
None of their eight batsmen scored at a strike rate of more than 100. Anaru Kitchen topscored with 31 off 41 balls, while opener Neil Broom was next best with 22 off 26 balls.
Northern’s opening bowler Scott Kuggeleijn was just about unplayable, taking 2-11 from his four overs. Black Caps spinners Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner were also in good form with 2-18 and 1-16 respectively from their four overs.
Northern chased that down with 14 balls to spare, but their innings wasn’t without the odd nervy moment.
They were at 35-3 in the eighth over before Dean Brownlie played a steady hand, scoring 34 not out off 32 balls to see his side home.
Daryl Mitchell also chipped in with a run-a-ball 27 before he was bowled by Jacob Duffy – the Otago skipper’s third victim as he took 3-18 from his four overs.