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Otago keep up their unbeaten start to the summer, with defending champions Canterbury still searching for their first win of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.
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Auckland Hearts captain Lauren Down made 75 on Sunday as her side beat the Canterbury Magicians to set up a rematch in next Sunday’s final.
The Auckland Hearts will host the Canterbury Magicians in the final of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield one-day competition after beating them on Sunday, despite finishing behind them on the ladder. With Hagley Oval hosting a Black Caps’ ODI against Bangladesh next Tuesday and the Canterbury men in action in the Plunket Shield in Rangiora, the Magicians have given up hosting rights for the decider, which will take place next Sunday at Eden Park Outer Oval, the same venue where the teams met twice this weekend.
And thanks to an outstanding captain’s knock from Martin leading them to their highest score of the campaign – 153-6 – they duly went on with the job, to win by 42 runs, which instead consigned the Central Hinds to the spoon, with the Sparks finishing level on points with the Spirit, behind on net run rate. After being sent in, the Sparks made a slow start of it, at 27-1 after five overs, before Martin, at No 3, got things going in the final over of the powerplay. The right-hander, one day shy of her 36th birthday, welcomed off-spinner Eimear Richardson to the crease with disdain, sending her first ball back over her head for six, in an over which went for 15.