Otago Sparks v Canterbury Magicians

The Canterbury Magicians kicked off their 2024/25 Dream11 Super Smash season at Molyneux Park in Alexandra, with a double-header scheduled alongside the men’s match. The Sparks won the toss and opted to bowl, sending the Magicians in to bat first. The decision proved crucial, as early wickets fell for the Magicians under the pressure of the Sparks’ disciplined bowling attack.

Kate Anderson was the first to depart, holing out to cow corner for 7, leaving the Magicians at 22/1 after 3 overs. Maddie Penna followed shortly after, failing to trouble the scoreboard and departing for 0. Izzy Sharp was undone by an inswinger that found its way past her inside edge and onto her off stump, leaving the Magicians at 24/3 after 4.3 overs. By the end of the power-play, the Magicians were in a difficult position, having posted only 30/3.

Kate Ebrahim, making her return to cricket after a year away, was caught at deep square leg shortly after trying to get under a sweep shot, departing for 6. The wickets continued to fall, with Jodie Dean contributing 14 before chipping a delivery to midwicket in the 8th over, leaving the Magicians struggling at 30/5.

At this point, the Magicians needed a partnership to rebuild, and Shikha Pandey and Nat Cox delivered. Their 59-run stand for the 6th wicket was pivotal in stabilizing the innings and setting a platform for a defendable total. The partnership came to an end in the 16th over, however, when Cox, looking to accelerate the scoring, was bowled for 23.

Pandey continued to accumulate runs, regularly finding the boundary. She reached a well-crafted 50 off 42 balls, and finished her innings with 63 off 48 balls, getting stumped off the second-to-last ball of the Magicians’ innings. By then, the damage had been done, and the Magicians had built a competitive total. Missy Banks provided solid late support, remaining not out on 14 as the Magicians finished with 136/7 from their 20 overs. Setting the Sparks a very competitive 137 to win.

Missy Banks carried the momentum from the Magicians’ innings into the field, striking early in the Sparks’ chase by removing opener Bella James for just 5 in the first over. Shikha Pandey then joined the action in her second over, delivering a short ball that Felicity Robertson was unable to get under. Robertson’s attempted pull shot resulted in a healthy edge that carried through to Laura Hughes behind the stumps, leaving the Sparks at 21/2 after 3.4 overs.

The pressure continued to mount as Caitlin Blakely fell next, misjudging a sweep shot off Sarah Asmussen’s bowling, and was dismissed for just 5. The Sparks were now 47/3 after 7 overs. By the halfway point of the chase, the game was finely poised with the Sparks at 63/3 after 10 overs, needing 74 runs from the remaining 10 overs.

Maddie Penna made the key breakthrough in the 16th over, dismissing a well-set Suzie Bates for 50. A full delivery with a bit of drift proved too much for Bates, who was bowled out with the score at 98/4. Banks struck again in the next over, removing the other set batsman, Polly Inglis. Inglis attempted a sweep shot off a full delivery but was caught out, leaving the Sparks 98/5.

Hayley Jensen then arrived at the crease with the required run rate just above 10 per over. However, the pressure proved too much for the hosts. Jensen was unable to get under a slower ball from Pandey and spooned a catch to mid-off, departing for just 5 with the score at 109/6 after 17.4 overs.

Kate Ebrahim claimed her first wicket of the match in the 18th over, dismissing Kirstie Gordon, who attempted to accelerate but could only muster a single run before miscuing a shot to mid-off. With 21 runs required off the final over, the Magicians’ bowlers kept their composure. Gabby Sullivan wrapped up a sharp bowling performance, dismissing the final batsman as the Magicians clinched a thrilling 12-run victory.

Shikha Pandey was deservedly named Player of the Match for her match-winning 63 runs and her outstanding bowling performance of 2/17 from 4 overs.

 

Otago Volts v Canterbury Kings

The Canterbury Kings and Otago Volts kicked off the second half of the double-header in Alexandra, with the visitors winning the toss and opting to bowl first.

Kyle Jamieson, making his return from injury, wasted no time making an impact, dismissing Jamal Todd for 0 with the fifth ball of the game. He shaped a back-inswinger that clattered into the left-hander’s middle stump. Jamieson struck again in the 3rd over, this time sending the other Volts opener, Dale Phillips, back to the pavilion for 10. Phillips was undone by a delivery that clattered into both middle and off stump, leaving the Volts at 16/2 after the 3rd over.

Some positive batting and expansive shots from Dean Foxcroft and Max Chu saw the Volts reach 50/2 at the end of the power-play. However, Foxcroft’s thick edge found its way into Jamieson’s hands at gully, as captain Cole McConchie took a third wicket for the Kings. The very next ball saw Llew Johnson look to work one onto the onside, but he played a leading edge that popped up comfortably for Michael Rippon at cover to take the catch. The dismissal brought former Kings player Leo Carter to the crease with the score at 63/4 after 7.3 overs.

A solid partnership between Leo Carter and Max Chu was finally broken in the 16th over, courtesy of Henry Shipley, whose full delivery crashed into Carter’s middle stump. Carter departed for 35 off 28 balls, leaving the score at 132/5.

An attempted ramp shot proved to be Max Chu’s eventual downfall. The Volts captain had played an important and well-crafted knock of 82 off 46 balls, before Michael Rae became the fourth Kings bowler to dismiss a Volts batsman, leaving the Volts at 150/6 after 17.4 overs.

Gus McKenzie picked up two wickets of his own in the 19th over, with both Ben Lockrose and Andrew Hazeldine falling victim to McKenzie’s well-directed yorkers. A Matt Boyle run-out off the final ball restricted the Volts to 165/8 after their 20 overs, setting the visiting Canterbury Kings a target of 166 to win.

A quick-fire start from Chad Bowes was eventually undone via a slower ball from 17-year-old Otago Volts debutant Mason Clarke, Bowes departed after mistiming a cut shot for 24 off 11. At the other end Ben Lockrose dismissed Tom Latham with the first ball of his spell, as Latham looked to attack by charging at the spinner, however misjudged the flight of the ball and was subsequently stumped by Max Chu for 4, leaving the Kings 29/2 after 3.1 overs.

Come the end of the powerplay the Kings were exactly at the same stage as the Volts, 2 down for 50.

Just as the Kings were looking to kick on in the 9th over, Dean Foxcroft would grab the Volts 3rd wicket, Matt Boyle’s cut shot finding the hands of Mason Clarke at short third man with the Canterbury Kings 74/3.

The wicket brought Canterbury Kings debutant Harry Chamberlain to the crease, but he departed just three overs later for 8, edging a back-of-a-length delivery from Matthew Bacon to Max Chu at first slip. Chamberlain’s dismissal left the Kings at 101/4.

Kings captain Cole McConchie fell just one run short of a half-century, departing in the 14th over. He pulled a delivery from Ben Lockrose to Dean Foxcroft at deep midwicket, leaving the Kings at 111/5 at the end of the over.

The Kings’ chase began with a quickfire start from Chad Bowes, who looked in fine form until he was undone by a slower ball from Mason Clarke, the 17-year-old Volts debutant. Bowes mistimed a cut shot and was dismissed for 24 off 11 balls. At the other end, Ben Lockrose made an immediate impact, dismissing Tom Latham with the first ball of his spell. Latham attempted to charge the spinner but misjudged the flight, resulting in his stumping for just 4, leaving the Kings at 29/2 after 3.1 overs.

At the end of the powerplay, the Kings were in the same position as the Volts, 2 wickets down for 50 runs.

The Kings appeared to be recovering well when Dean Foxcroft struck again in the 9th over. Matt Boyle’s cut shot found the hands of Mason Clarke at short third man, leaving the Kings at 74/3.

The arrival of Harry Chamberlain to the crease didn’t halt the Volts’ momentum. The Kings’ debutant departed just three overs later for 8, edging a back-of-a-length delivery from Matthew Bacon to wicketkeeper Max Chu.

Kings’ captain, Cole McConchie looked set for a half-century but fell just one run short. He pulled a delivery from Ben Lockrose to Dean Foxcroft at deep midwicket, departing for 49, leaving the Kings at 111/5 at the end of the 14th over.

Michael Rippon would soon be back in the pavilion also, his pull shot finding Ben Lockrose at deep square leg off the bowling of Dean Foxcroft, mustering just 4 runs, and leaving Canterbury 113/6, Kyle Jamieson was unable to muster anymore then 2 runs, as Andrew Hazeldine rolled his fingers over one which dismantled Jamieson’s bails, Canterbury left 116/7 after 15.3 overs.

The flurry of wickets in the later stages of the innings, along with some tight Otago Volts bowling at the death, helped ensure the hosts defended their total, winning the game by 10 runs as the Canterbury Kings finished 155/10 from 20 overs.

 

Written by – Joshua Vergeest