Past Magicians

Super Smash is the name and Katie Gurrey and Eimear Richardson made it the game for the Northern Spirit.

A powerful display of boundary hitting from the pair helped their side to a thrilling last over, five-wicket win over the Canterbury Magicians in the women’s T20 Super Smash yesterday.

The loss left the third-placed Magicians needing other results to go their way to make the final on January 20. Top of the table Wellington Blaze are now assured of one berth, and Auckland Hearts can join them if they beat Otago on Sunday.

Northern Spirit, in pursuit of 166 for victory, needed just three runs from the final over and Felicity Leydon-Davies made short work of it with a four from the opening ball.

Northern won the toss and inserted Canterbury on a flat deck at Hagley Oval in Christchurch and not even an unbeaten 129 run partnership from the Magicians’ Kate Ebrahim and Frankie Mackay was enough for the home side.

Canterbury’s total of 165-2 looked competitive until Spirit opener Gurrey got going early.

She gave her side a rapid start to the run chase as she brought up her 50 in just 32 balls but two balls later she was caught on the boundary by Gabby Sullivan from the bowling of Mackay for 55.

Gurrey smashed the Canterbury bowlers all over Hagley Oval has she hit nine fours and a six.

Coming in at No 5, Richardson was equally as devastating with 43 from just 21 balls in an innings that included seven fours and one six.

Mackay, the Canterbury skipper, gave her side some hope when she bowled Richardson and then had Samantha Curtis lbw within two balls in the 16th over but Leydon-Davies’ steady knock was enough to guide Northern home.

Leydon-Davies’ finished unbeaten on 41 from 36 balls.

Mackay was the best of the Canterbury bowlers with 3-25 from her four overs.

On the back of her 58no from just 46 balls, it was a strong allaround effort from MacKay in a beaten side but the star for Canterbury with the bat was Ebrahim. She punished the Spirit bowling with 77no from 48 balls. An innings that included eight fours and two sixes.

Ironically, Ebrahim and Mackay both took 39 balls to reach their half centuries.

Carolyn Esterhuizen took both of the Canterbury wickets with figures of 2-21 from her four overs.

Canterbury Magicians 165-2 (Kate Ebrahim 77no, Frankie Mackay 58no Erin Bermingham; Carolyn Esterhuizen 2-21) lost to Northern Spirit 167-5 (Katie Gurrey 55, Eimear Richardson 43, Felicity Leydon-Davies 41no; Mackay 3-25).