Kerr leads Blaze to wet win over Hinds
Rain prevented a potential thriller from playing out at the Basin Reserve between the Wellington Blaze and Central Hinds in the Twenty20 Super Smash.
As it was, the Blaze took the win – a remarkable 16th in a row – thanks to the Duckworth-LewisStern method, having been ahead of the par score by 18 runs when the showers arrived 6.5 overs into their chase of 149.
Captain Melie Kerr was unbeaten on 27 off 14 alongside Rebecca Burns on 26 off 22 and the Blaze were 62-1, having lost Thamsyn Newton for two in the second over.
Hannah Rowe claimed that early scalp for the Hinds, who were looking to halt the home team’s winning run at 15 matches.
With 148 runs on the board, the Hinds would have had plenty of time to get back in the contest by taking further wickets, but it wasn’t to be. Their imposing total was built on the back of a 112-run opening partnership by Natalie Dodd and Georgia Atkinson.
Wicketkeeper Dodd finished unbeaten on 78 off 63 balls, while Atkinson was caught by Jess Kerr off the bowling of Kerr for 50 off 42, having made her first T20 half-century.
The Blaze lacked penetration with the ball on a gloomy morning in Wellington, with Leigh Kasperek claiming the only other wicket to fall, that of Jess Watkin for 14 off 13. At the halfway stage it looked like the Blaze would have their work cut out, especially as White Ferns captain Sophie Devine was absent.
But thanks to Kerr, who was best with bat and ball on the day, they were comfortably in front when rain brought an early end.
The men’s Super Smash game between the Firebirds and Stags yesterday was a washout.