PACE ACE LIFTS
HURRICANES pace sensation Tayla Vlaeminck has celebrated her birthday in style after her brilliant bowling display and a vital knock from star South African import Mignon du Preez led the Canes to a thrilling chasedown win over the Stars on Wednesday night.
Coming into the game the Hurricanes’ chances relied heavily on their ability to restrict the influence of the Stars’ star-studded top order, and Australian strike bowler Vlaeminck (3-27) took it upon herself to do so.
Vlaeminck celebrated her 23rd birthday in style with a red hot spell that claimed the wickets of Sutherland (12 off 27), Lanning (3 off 4), and Villani (35 off 29) to put the Canes in a great early position.
While their top order was dismantled in the space of 12 deliveries between the seventh and ninth overs the Stars did not roll over, and thanks to a key middle-order partnership between Maria Bouchier (42 off 33) and Kim Garth (44 not out off 29) were able to post a respectable score of 4-144.
While Vlaeminck (below) was the hero with the ball, South African star import du Preez did the damage with the bat with a clinical display of 62 off 45 balls, including eight boundaries.
After the Hurricanes’ chase was dealt an early blow when youngster Ruth Johnston was bowled for a golden duck in the opening over of the innings, it was the South African who put the Hurricanes on her back.
When skipper Rachel Priest (23 off 27), who was playing with a badly injured finger, was caught in the sixth over the Canes were 2-33 and staring down the barrel of another defeat.
But after du Preez was dropped on the second-last ball before drinks she made the Stars pay in the second half of the innings and put on a masterclass on her way to 62 off 45 before being caught at cover to leave the Canes at 4-124 with 21 needed off the final 19 balls.
With du Preez in the stands it was young Indian star Ghosh (24 not out off 16) who stepped up to the plate and with a number of boundaries reduced the chase to the point that the Canes needed only three from the final over.
Ghosh only needed two deliveries to finish the game in style after ramming home a 4 to complete the chase and give the Canes a terrific win and their second against the Stars.
Vlaeminck said after the game that a win was the present she was after.
“It’s a great way to spend my birthday,” she said. “I think that’s what I asked for at the start of the day; they (her teammates) asked me what they can get me and I said a win would be a beautiful way to end it.”
Hurricanes coach Salliann Beams said she was thrilled with the win, and along with the performance of birthday girl Vlaeminck she was full of praise for du Preez who had previously been struggling with the bat.
“Im so pleased for Mignon du Preez,” Beams said. “She probably hasn’t started the tournament how she’s wanted and then to put on a display after probably getting a bit stuck down at the start and then to catch up and put us in a really strong position I thought was brilliant.”