Auckland push hard for playoffs

The Auckland Hearts climbed to second on the women’s T20 Super Smash table after earning their fourth win of the competition.

Led by an unbeaten 52 from experienced White Fern Katie Perkins, the Hearts overcame a rough start with the bat to beat the Northern Spirit by six wickets at Eden Park outer oval yesterday.

Chasing just 98 to win from 20 overs, Auckland were in a tricky spot at 17-3 after five overs. Talented young Spirit medium-pacer Nensi Patel caused problems for Auckland early on claiming all three top order scalps.

Perkins and allrounder Holly Huddleston produced a matchwinning partnership to get them out of trouble, adding 79 for the fourth wicket.

Huddleston departed for 25 with just two further runs required for victory with Perkins finishing unbeaten on 52 from 48 balls.

Auckland’s win puts them firmly on track for the T20 Super Smash finals, and they could even potentially finish first if they keep winning and leaders Wellington drop games.

Northern could only post 97-9 from their 20 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.

They got off to a dreadful start, slumping to 6-3 in the second over. Katie Gurrey and Felicity Leydon-Davis attempted to rebuild the innings, adding 55 for the fourth wicket in a crucial partnership.

Leydon-Davis’ dismissal led to a flurry of wickets with Northern going from 61-3 to 62-7 with medium pacer Jesse Prasad capturing three wickets in four balls.

Prasad was exceptional, taking 3-19 from four overs, while Huddleston was also a handful with 3-14 from her allotted four.

Meanwhile, Wellington’s fivematch unbeaten run was ended by the Canterbury Kings in

Christchurch on Saturday.

Kings skipper Cole McConchie struck an unbeaten 48 off 34 balls to guide his side past the Firebirds’ 154-7 with four wickets and a couple of balls to spare on a tiring Hagley Oval wicket. It backed up their impressive sixwicket win against Northern less than 24 hours prior.

However it was yet another Blaze of glory for superstar Sophie Devine on Saturday.

Two days after whacking the fastest women’s Twenty20 hundred, the White Ferns skipper was at it again, with a quickfire half century leading Wellington to a thumping seven-wicket win over Canterbury in their clash in Christchurch.

The top of the table matchup turned into one-way traffic as former New Zealand captain Amy Satterthwaite’s own rapid 50 went in vain for the Magicians, but lost 6-9 and were bowled out for 117 in 19.3 overs.