Magicians spun out

Dual legspin attack Deanna Doughty and Amelia Kerr made Wellington’s Karori Park a pitch of batting nightmares for the Canterbury Magicians yesterday.

The pair took nine of the 10 Magicians wickets to fall as Wellington Blaze skittled their visitors for 63, to complete a 172-run win in round eight of the women’s one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.

Opening the bowling, Doughty snared 5-29 off her 10 overs before Kerr, the White Ferns’ main spinner, mopped up the tail with 4-8 off 5.1 overs.

White Ferns skipper Amy Satterthwaite, opening for Canterbury, was the only one not to fall to the legspin duo as she was dismissed by Kerr’s sister Jess for three. It was a tough weekend for Satterthwaite who fell for five to Doughty on Saturday, in the Blaze’s five-wicket win at the Basin Reserve.

Blaze captain Liz Perry hit 92 off 90 balls to lead the hosts to a competitive total of 235 on Sunday, and it proved plenty.

The back-to-back victories over the Magicians kept the Twenty20 Super Smash champions the Blaze in with an outside hope of the double with two rounds remaining.

Auckland Hearts ensured their spot in the March 9 final with a fivewicket win over Central Hinds on Saturday, but the Hinds bounced back yesterday with a six-wicket victory over the Hearts to move into the box seat in second place.