Firebirds soar into the lead

Wellington Firebirds bowler Ollie Newton took five wickets, including three in one over, to guide his team to a 42-run win over Central Stags and into the Super Smash lead.

Batting first, last year’s leading run-scorer Devon Conway carried the Firebirds through to 196 after scoring a season-high 89 from 50.

But that total looked under threat when Kieran Noema-Barnett came to the crease at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth yesterday, the middle order batsman hitting a quick-fire 58 from 38 to drag the Stags back into contention.

However, Jimmy Neesham made the crucial breakthrough in the 16th over. After conceding just two runs from the 15th over to stop the flow of runs, Neesham caught NoemaBarnett off the bowling of Hamish Bennett, the first of six wickets to fall in the space of just 14 balls.

Medium pacer Newton (5-45) was the key tormenter, claiming the first five-wicket haul of his Twenty20 career. He removed the Stags’ other dangerman, Josh Clarkson, whose 22 from 18 included two sixes.

But while the job was finished by Newton, it was started by Conway. The South Africanborn opener belted 15 boundaries en route to his 89, clubbing 11 fours and four sixes.

Neesham was the Firebirds’ only other notable run scorer, hitting 38 from 25.

Wellington Firebirds 196 beat Central Stags 154

The result saw the Firebirds move to the top of the table while the Stags have dropped back to third.

❏ Wellington Blaze have continued their perfect start to the women’s Super Smash season, beating Central Hinds by 49 runs to register their fifth consecutive win.

The Kerr sisters played prominent roles at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth yesterday, Amelia Kerr scoring 38 from 25 to push the two-time defending Twenty20 wicket champions through to 170-5 before sibling Jess Kerr claimed four wickets to restrict the Hinds to a meagre 121 in reply.

The star-studded Blaze made a promising start with the bat, opener Rachel Priest kicking off the innings with 38 from 24. She was one of three Blaze players to score 30-plus at more than a run a ball, Maddy Green (31 from 22) also making a key contribution.

The Blaze continued their dominance with the ball, the competition’s leading wicke-taker, medium-pacer Jess Kerr, taking 4-13 to clean up the middle order.