Spirit book spot in final

The Northern Spirit have ensured a dramatic turnaround to book their spot in the final of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield with two rounds to spare.

Having finished bottom of the table in the women’s domestic one-day competition the past two seasons, the Spirit remain top of the current standings after the weekend’s action, and now can’t be overtaken for a top-two finish.

After a commanding 121-run win over the Wellington Blaze in Whangarei on Saturday, the Spirit backed that up with a fourwicket victory yesterday to seal their spot in the March 14 final.

Having elected to bat at Cobham Oval, the Blaze started in decent fashion, with a 61-run first-wicket stand, but then their wheels fell off as they went from 82-1 to 83-4 in the space of seven balls, with top-scorer Jessica McFadyen (43) the last of that bunch to fall.

Kate Anderson (3-16 off six overs) was responsible for the first of those two wickets, while Ireland international off-spinner Eimear Richardson took 4-28 off

10 in cleaning up the tail, with No

5 Priyanaz Chatterji (42) the last to fall, and the visitors all out for

146 in 41 overs.

In reply, the Spirit had their own skid, getting to 43-0 before losing four wickets for five runs.

At 79-6 in the 28th over the game was well poised, but Holly Topp (29no) and captain Felicity Leydon-Davis (30no) put on an unbroken 71-run stand to get the hosts home with 13 balls to spare.

The Auckland Hearts remain second on the table, four points off the Spirit, but were crushed by eight wickets by the Central Hinds in Auckland.

The Canterbury Magicians are in third place after a 119-run crushing of the Otago Sparks at Leg-spinner Sophie Oldershaw claimed the superb figures of 5-19 off 10, including four maidens, but No 9 Melissa Banks topscored with an unbeaten 46no which proved more than useful for the hosts in a 51-run lastwicket stand.