Blaze unbeaten after six rounds

The Wellington Blaze maintained their perfect record in the women’s Super Smash T20 championship posting their sixth successive win against nearest rival Auckland yesterday.

After sending the home side to bat at Eden Park’s Outer oval the Blaze restricted Auckland to 111-9.

All the Wellington bowlers were tidy and returned respectable figures with leading wickettakers Deana Doughty, Amelia and Jess Kerr all claiming two victims apiece.

Wellington were in some strife at 37-4, with White Fern Sophie Devine dismissed for one, in the ninth over but Amelia Kerr then combined with fellow White Fern Leigh Kasperek to add an unbroken stand of 76 for the fifth wicket and reel in the target which was achieved in 17.3 overs.

Wellington have the maximum 24 points while Auckland are second on 16 points from four wins and two losses.

Meanwhile, Otago Sparks made light work of Canterbury Magicians in yesterday’s other women’s clash, winning by 66 runs at Molyneux Park in Alexandra

on the back of a gamewinning knock from Suzie Bates.

The competition’s leading runscorer belted 12 boundaries on her way to 82 not out from 55 balls to set up a formidable score of 174-3 after the Sparks were sent in to bat. Bates and new signing Amanda-Jade Wellington (42 from 21) plundered 66 runs from their final five overs.

The third-place Sparks made the same impact with the ball, Australian leg-spinner Wellington claiming 3-23 in just her second match to restrict the winless Magicians to a meagre 108-8.