Sparks win denies Blaze of glory in final
Don’t let this month’s results against Australia with an injury-hit team fool you – the Black Caps will be genuine contenders when the Twenty20 World Cup rolls around in June. Perhaps even greater contenders at the outset than they were at the last three events, in 2022, 2021 and 2016, not to mention the last two one-day international World Cups, in 2023 and 2019.
Starting with the 2015 ODI World Cup, the Black Caps have made it to the semifinals at major white-ball tournaments six times out of six.
They’ve also made it to two finals – at the 2021 T20 event and the 2019 ODI event – without yet winning it all.
What is exciting about their chances this time around is the options at the disposal of coach Gary Stead – who has been at the helm for four of those semifinal appearances – and captain Kane Williamson – who has been at the helm for five.
Stead and fellow selector Sam Wells will have some big decisions to make in the coming months, not only with regard to finalising their 15, but with regard to what their best XI looks like.
Across the three home series this summer – a 3-1 series defeat to Australia, who won the rain-affected dead rubber at Eden Park in Auckland yesterday; a 4-1 win over Pakistan and a 1-1 draw with Bangladesh – the Black Caps have called on 19 different players, with Michael Bracewell a 20th who might yet be considered.
There is one away series to come before the World Cup – five matches in Pakistan in mid-April – but the Black Caps won’t have their Indian Premier League stars for those: Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson and Trent Boult.
All of those players should be there come June, as should Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jimmy Neesham, Tim Seifert and Ish Sodhi.
The big question will be around the other two seamers, with Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Ben Sears and Tim Southee in the mix there.
The Otago Sparks have denied the Wellington Blaze a women’s domestic cricket double.
Otago captured their second Hallyburton Johnstone Shield in three seasons yesterday in Dunedin, winning by four wickets.
Wellington were seeking to pull off the domestic double after pipping the Central Hinds in the T20 Super Smash final last month, but came up short.
The Blaze, missing leading White Ferns Melie Kerr and Sophie Devine, who are featuring in the Women’s T20 Premier League in India, would have felt confident midway through the Sparks’ chase.
Chasing 212, Otago were in
aspot of
Scores from the final T20 international yesterday:
At Eden Park, Auckland: Australia 118-4 in 10.4 overs (Travis Head 33 off 30) beat the Black Caps 98-3 in 10 overs (Glenn Phillips 40no off 24) by 27 runs (DLS method).
Australia won 3-match series 3-0.
The other two players to have taken the field this summer are batter Will Young and all-rounder Josh Clarkson, who will likely need injuries – or a strong run of bother when skipper Felicity Robertson was bowled by Xara Jetly for 38 in the 35th over, leaving them 124-5.
Enter Olivia Gain and Polly Inglis who proved integral in helping the Sparks to the title.
They combined for what proved a critical 67-run sixth wicket stand, frustrating the Blaze bowlers, who had been on top.
Gain hit 42 from 38 balls, including four fours and a six, but was bowled by Tash Codyre with 21 still required.
Inglis and White Fern Hayley Jensen ensured the Sparks got home, combining for an unbroken partnership with the hosts winning with 11 balls left.
Wellington were clearly delighted when White Ferns legend Suzie Bates went for 16, cau*ght by Leigh Kasperek off Jetly’s bowl form in Pakistan – to make the cut.
Where it gets curly, no matter which seamers are selected, is when the time comes to go from 15 to 11.
That is especially so after Ravindra’s innings of 68 off 35 in the first match against Australia in Wellington last Wednesday.
The man he effectively replaced in the Black Caps’ lineup – Williamson – has only scored that many runs that fast once in his 89-match career.
Everything we’ve seen from Ravindra suggests that won’t be the case once he has played 89 T20s – and he would also
At University Oval, Dunedin: Wellington 211-8 in 50 overs (Jess McFadyen 64, Jess Kerr 56; Emma Black 3-31) lost to Otago 212-6 in 48.1 overs (Caitlin Blakely 50, Olivia Gain 42, Felicity Robertson38, Polly Inglis 35no; Xara Jetly 3-29) by four wickets.
ing. The Sparks were 19-2 with the Blaze in control.
Central to Otago’s run chase was a 79-run fourth wicket partnership between Caitlin Blakely, who top-scored with 50, and Robertson, who contributed 38.
Wellington looked slightly short of par at the halfway mark, having got to 211-8 from their 50 overs. put another spin-bowling option into the New Zealand XI in conditions where that might prove useful.
It’s obviously not as simple as that. Williamson is a master of adapting to conditions and situations and has been the leader of this team for eight years. But it’s hard to see how else you fit Ravindra in, and after his ODI World Cup displays last year, it feels like it would be a mistake to leave him out.
Stead has made plenty of big calls in his six years in charge of the Black Caps, but his solution to this logjam might prove to be his biggest one yet.
The Hallyburton Johnstone Shield’s leading run-scorer this season, Jess McFadyen, continued her strong form, hitting 64 for the Blaze opening the innings.
Defending champions Wellington slumped from 95-2 to 96-5 with Emma Black removing White Fern Georgia Plimmer and Kasperek (for a golden duck) in back-to-back deliveries.
Kate Chandler was run out in the same over with the Blaze squandering a promising start.
Jess Kerr helped Wellington to get over the 200-mark, impressing with 56 from 65 balls, which included eight fours.
Black was the standout bowler for Otago, finishing with 3-31 from her 10 overs. Jensen was also tough to get away, capturing 1-28, bowling three maidens.