Auckland Hearts v Canterbury Magicians

 

Round 2 of the Dream11 Super Smash season kicked off in Auckland, where Laura Hughes won the toss at Kennards Hire Community Oval and chose to bowl, marking the first retro round of the season.

Early wickets fell in clumps as the Magicians’ tight bowling was rewarded early. Shikha Pandey got the breakthrough just four balls into her first over. After three dot balls, Pandey bowled one just a fraction wider than the previous three inswingers. Saachi Shahri, unable to resist, threw her hands at it, resulting in an edge that went to Captain Laura Hughes, who took a brilliant one-handed catch diving to her right. The Hearts were 1/1 after 1.4 overs.

Pandey struck again with the first ball of her second over, the match’s fourth. An attempted lap shot from Izzy Gaze off a fuller ball lobbing to short third man, where Gabby Sullivan took an excellent diving catch. The score was 12/2 after 3.1 overs.

Gabby Sullivan dismantled the Hearts’ third wicket with her first ball in the very next over, a well-directed off-cutter that was too good for Maddy Green, castling the Hearts batsmans off-stump. Leaving the Auckland side 14/3 after 4.1 overs.

At the end of the powerplay, the Magicians had restricted the Hearts to 26/3, reflecting a disciplined opening six overs of bowling and fielding.

A 55-run partnership between Lauren Down and Brooke Halliday brought some stability to the Hearts’ innings, but it was eventually broken by a fine catch behind the stumps from Laura Hughes, who was keeping up to Missy Banks. Halliday departed for 28, with the Hearts at 69/4 midway through the 12th over.

The Hearts lost their fifth wicket in the 15th over when Prue Catton attempted to clear deep mid-on but didn’t get enough on it, allowing Missy Banks to take a regulation catch off Kate Ebrahim’s bowling. The score stood at 85/5.

Kate Ebrahim’s wicket-to-wicket bowling was rewarded again in her following over when she bowled Josie Penfold late in the 17th over, leaving the Hearts at 98/6.

A quickfire cameo of 13 off 9 balls from Molly Penfold ended when Missy Banks bowled her with her third ball of the 20th over. Leaving the score at 119/7. The final three balls of Banks’ final over yielded just three runs, capping off a tight performance both personally and by the Magicians bowling attack.

The Auckland Hearts posted 122/7 from their 20 overs, setting the Canterbury Magicians 123 to win.

With a slight rain shower during the innings break the 2nd innings was reduced to 19 overs, resulting in a revised total of 119 for the Canterbury Magicians.

The Magicians lost their first wicket for 17 after 3.3 overs, Jodie Dean’s attempt to accelerate the Magicians’ innings in the 4th over from Fran Jonas’ bowling proved to be her undoing. Picking out Brooke Halliday at cow corner, departing for a run a ball 12.

Maddie Penna was the 2nd to depart for the Magicians, after charging down the wicket and missing the ball Penna had assumed that Auckland Hearts keeper Izzy Gaze had gathered the ball and stumped her, however, Gaze had failed to do so, managing to gather the ball before Penna had realised and under arming the ball onto the stumps as Penna could only helplessly dive in an attempt to make her ground, the score 43/2.

In the very next over, Izzy Sharp was deemed out LBW off of Bree Illing’s bowling, failing to make contact with a cross-batted shot off a full toss that smashed onto her knee roll. She departed for 4, leaving the Magicians at 48/3 in the 9th over. The Hearts had flipped the game on its head in just a few balls.

A 46-run partnership between Kate Anderson and Kate Ebrahim came to an end when Ebrahim failed to make her ground while the two went for a quick single. A good throw from Penfold at mid-off found the hands of keeper Izzy Gaze who was able to dismantle the stumps, Ebrahim departed for 19 off 18 balls. The Magicians were 84/4, requiring 35 off 28 balls.

As the required run rate continued to rise, the Magicians needed to accelerate further. Fran Jonas provided another breakthrough, dismissing Natalie Cox for 2 off 7 balls. Cox attempted to cut one over cover but failed to clear the field, with Prue Catton taking the catch. The Magicians were now 98/5 after 16 overs.

The wicket brought round 1 Player of the Match, Shikha Pandey, to the crease, and she looked to play some positive strokes. However, she was soon on her way back to the pavilion, run out by Prue Catton after failing to slide her bat. Pandey departed for 6 off 5 balls, with the score at 97/6 after 17.1 overs

The Magicians required 15 off the last over and started off brilliantly. A bottom edge from Kate Anderson went through the keeper’s legs for 4 off the first ball, before she scrambled through for a single off the second. The equation was now 10 from 4 balls. Missy Banks followed up with a single of her own, putting Anderson back on strike. However, some very tight death bowling from Brooke Halliday ensured the Hearts secured the victory. Halliday bowled a dot ball before an attempted lap shot saw Anderson find the hands of short fine leg, departing for 38 off 47 balls. The final ball went for just 1 run.

The Magicians finished at 111/7 from their reduced 19 overs, with the Hearts securing a 7-run victory (DLS). It was a solid bowling performance from the Magicians, with Missy Banks, Shikha Pandey, and Kate Ebrahim all taking two wickets apiece. Kate Anderson provided strong resistance with the bat, helping keep the team in the fight until the final over.

 

Auckland Aces v Canterbury Kings

 

Winning the toss Cole McConchie elected to bowl first in the final game of the scheduled doubleheader in Auckland, and the mens opening retro round fixture.

After a dominant start by the Aces, Angus McKenzie was able to find a breakthrough with the second-to-last ball of the powerplay. Will O’Donnell, looking to continue his bombardment of boundaries, failed to get enough on a straight drive, and the ball went straight to Cole McConchie at mid-off. O’Donnell departed for 25 off 17 and left the Aces 53/1 at the end of the powerplay.

The wicket brung Mike Sclanders to the crease, who didn’t last long, departing for a two-ball duck after Henry Shipley found a faint edge, Tom Latham taking a regulation catch behind the stumps. Sean Solia followed in the same over, slicing a hard drive to point, Angus McKenzie taking the catch, leaving Solia departing for 1 off 2 balls and the Aces ending the 7th over 57/3.

Shipley struck just 2 balls into his second spell, breaking the destructive partnership between Martin Guptill and Bevon Jacobs, who had added a rapid 59 runs between them. Guptill, in Shipley’s third over, failed to get enough height on a shot intended to clear Michael Rippon at extra cover, departing for a superb 60 off 35 balls. The Aces 115/4 after 12.2 overs.

Cam Fletcher was the next to depart. After hitting Ish Sodhi for a six off the fifth ball of his fourth over, Fletcher tried to clear the boundary once more but failed to get enough elevation. Michael Rippon at wide mid-off, taking his second catch of the game. Leaving the Aces 144/5 after 16 overs.

Shipley’s fourth wicket came in the 19th over, with the destructive Bevon Jacobs attempting to clear cow corner. However, the extra bounce ensuring it hit high on his bat and therefore not getting as enough on the ball to clear Chad Bowes on the boundary. Jacobs departed for 53 off 33 balls, which included 5 sixes. Two balls later, Shipley claimed his fifth wicket, dismissing Jock McKenzie. McKenzie, looking to go big in the same area Jacobs had targeted, was undone by a quality slower ball. The ball took the bottom edge of McKenzie’s bat, dislodging his leg stump bail. At the end of the 19th over, the Aces were 175/7.

Angus McKenzie picked up his second halfway through the 20th over, Siddhesh Dixit looking to add whatever runs possible could only manage an outside edge to Tom Latham and departed for 3.

Some good bowling at the death saw the final over of the first innings go for a respectable 10 runs, restricting the Auckland Aces to 185/8 at the conclusion of their 20 overs, setting the Kings 186 runs to win.

A dominant start to the run chase by the Kings set the tone early, with some aggressive cricket on display. The opening pair of Tom Latham and Chad Bowes made their intentions clear, finding boundaries with ease. By the end of the powerplay, the Kings had raced to 58/0, a solid foundation for the chase ahead. Tom Latham played a composed knock of 18 off 16 balls, rotating the strike effectively, while Chad Bowes took center stage, smashing 39 off just 21 balls, putting the Kings in a commanding position as they headed into the middle overs.

Chad Bowes quickly raised his half-century just two overs later, reaching the milestone with a perfectly timed pull shot through point for 4. The fifty coming off a blistering 28 balls.

Bowes’ aggressive intent ultimately proved to be his downfall. In an attempt to clear the long-off boundary off Adi Ashok’s bowling, he misjudged the shot and was caught by a diving Jock McKenzie. His explosive knock of 56 off 30 balls came to an end, leaving the Kings at 88/1 after 9 overs.

An inspired bowling change saw Will O’Donnell struck gold as he removed Cole McConchie midway through the 10th over. Looking to take on the Aces bowler, McConchie charged down the wicket but was unable to make contact after O’Donnell adjusted his length, and was subsequently stumped by Cam Fletcher for 2 runs, the score at the time of the dismal 90/2.

The wicket brought Harry Chamberlain to the crease, but his stay was short-lived. Just eight balls into his innings, he was dismissed for 6, failing to get the desired elevation on a lofted off-drive and hollowing out to deep mid off where Jock McKenize was again waiting to take the catch, Adi Ashok taking his 2nd wicket for the game. The Kings 107/3 after 12.2 overs.

Tom Latham would bring up his 50 late in the 14th over via a six down the ground, the important half-century coming off 38 balls, came at a time where partnerships were required.

The Black Caps captain would eventually fall, caught on the rope trying to hit his 3rd six of the match. Departing for 56 off 42 balls the score 136/4 at the end of the 14th over.

A good piece of fielding from Danru Ferns, would see the Aces collect a 5th Kings wicket, Micheal Rippon deemed to be short of his ground having to depart for 9 after being run out, the score 163/5 at the start of the 18th. The Kings required 23 off 17 balls. Matt Boyles 18 ball blitz of 37 runs would end in the same over just 2 balls later Bevon Jacobs taking a smart running catch on the boundary as Boyle looked to clear cow corner off the bowling of Jock McKenzie.

The momentum looked to be significantly changing hands in the Aces favor when Kyle Jamieson skied one to long on off Danru Ferns bowling a smart catch by Will O’Donnell to dismiss the Kings bowler, Jamieson having to depart for 2 the Kings 171/7 off 18.1 overs, and still requiring 15 runs off 11 balls.

Henry Shipley would fall 3 balls later, Bevon Jacobs with one of the catches of the summer diving full stretch on the boundary to take a one handed screamer, despite his phenomenal bowling performance Shipley was unable to crack on with the bat falling for just 1 run. Angus McKenzie would be dismissed the very next ball clipping one of the pads to deep square leg where substitute fielder Simon Keene took a what seemed impossible catch on the floor after throwing it back off the boundary to himself. The Kings ended the 19th over 172/9, requiring 14 off the final over for victory.

Ish Sodhi eventually succumbed just 2 balls into the final over finding Bevon Jacobs on the boundary as the Kings were bowled out for 172 runs off 19.2 overs, the Aces winning by 13 runs.

Despite disappointing performance the match saw several personal milestones and standout performances from the CantebryKings players: Henry Shipley delivered a career-best T20 bowling performance, claiming 5/17, which was undoubtedly the highlight of the match. Chad Bowes provided an explosive display of power-hitting, smashing 56 runs off just 30 balls, including 6 fours and 3 sixes. Tom Latham also contributed a vital 56, playing a composed knock with 5 fours and 2 sixes, while his partnership with Matt Boyle, who blazed 37 off 18 balls helped build crucial momentum towards the back end of the innings.