Sparks hoping to continue improvement

THIS weekend will provide a good gauge of how far the Otago Sparks have come as a team.

Otago has muddled through the season without star Suzie Bates and fellow White Ferns Katey Martin and Hayley Jensen have been missing at various stages, as well.

It has been a challenge. There is not a great deal of depth in the province.

But the Sparks showed improvement at the back end of the Super Smash tournament and the team be hoping to transfer that form into positive results in the backtoback onedayers against Northern Districts in Hamilton this weekend.

For players like Saffron Wilson, Olivia Gain and Sophie Gray, it is an opportunity to impress after being on the fringe of the T20 team.

Wilson will open the batting alongside the captain Bella James.

‘‘She certainly has some skills with the bat and she is a very patient player, so I’m really keen to give her the opportunity to play without that pressure in the middle order,’’coach Craig Cumming said.

‘‘Batting up the top of the order gives her that chance.’’

‘‘[Gain] has just been away at the under19s, so it is great timing for her, and it is a chance for someone like [regular spinner] Eden Carson to go up the order a wee bit and put a bit more emphasis on her batting.

‘‘So it is still about development. But because we are threequarters of the way through the season, we’ve had a lot more cricket and we are far better off as far as our understanding of what we are trying to do.

‘‘Fingers crossed we can put in a performance that shows that.’’

Gray is a wicketkeeperbatswomen but will play as a specialist batter.

Gain was the leading scorer at the national under19 tournament this summer.