Last-ball final loss for Magicians

The Wellington Blaze won back-to-back domestic Twenty20 titles, beating the Canterbury Magicians by four wickets in a final with a nail-biting finish.

Needing eight off the final over, bowled by Magicians captain Frankie Mackay, they almost blew it, but Jess Kerr slashed over point for three off the penultimate ball, and Suzie McDonald rushed through for a single to seal the win from the final delivery.

Rebecca Burns’ innings of 41 and Sophie Devine’s quickfire knock of 31 set the Blaze on their way as they chased 131 to win at Eden Park Outer Oval in Auckland yesterday, but they stumbled once in sight of their target.

Set batters Amelia Kerr (28 off 27) and Liz Perry (nine off 12) couldn’t survive the penultimate over, bowled by Kate Ebrahim, and suddenly the game was up for grabs.

Mackay missed a run out chance to tie the match on the final ball but her throw narrowly missed.

Coming together at 23 for two having lost both openers cheaply Ebrahim and Erin Bermingham not only resurrected the innings but also teamed until the end of the 18th over, putting on 86 off 74 balls for the third wicket to push the Magicians to 130 for three.

Bermingham struck an impressive an unbeaten half century, 61 not out from 49 balls.

The Blaze looked to cruising when Devine struck three sixes in her 31 from 26 balls but her dismissal in the 12th over prompted some stutters from the Wellington batters as effected three run outs.

As the final over began, the Blaze still needed eight, but got three off Mackay’s first delivery to make the equation simpler - a run a ball.

A single followed, then a dot and a run out, then another dot, and so the Blaze needed four off two.

It looked like they had blown it, but Kerr and McDonald came through with another three before the match-winning single.

Canterbury