The ACES and HEARTS have both suffered defeat at the hands of their Wellington rivals in the Dream11 Super Smash today.
HEARTS vs. Blaze | Blaze won by 9 wickets.
Good news greeted the HEARTS and Blaze when the sun shone down on the Basin Reserve. Asked to bat first, the HEARTS were in early trouble losing three wickets in the powerplay, with Maneka Singh (2-13) proving tricky to get away.
A pair of well-struck boundaries by Katie Perkins, one over mid-wicket and one through the covers, got the score moving only for a mix-up to see the HEARTS slip further to 28/4. From there, Amelia Kerr (3-11) had a hand in everything for the Blaze.
There was still some fight from the HEARTS with a busy Saachi Shahri (29) at the crease, hitting four boundaries, but it wasn’t enough as she lost partners along the way. The HEARTS eventually finished with 92/9 from their 20 overs.
Anna Peterson picked up the early wicket of Rebecca Burns during what was a tidy start by the HEARTS bowlers. Amelia Kerr (58*) and Maddy Green (30*) then took the game on and showed their class, leading their side to a comfortable nine-wicket win in the 11th over.
ACES vs. Firebirds | Firebirds won by four wickets.
With five ACES debutants in the line-up, it was always going to be a challenge taking on the defending champions.
Also asked to bat first, the ACES made a fantastic start courtesy of Sean Solia and Graeme Beghin. The pair traded boundaries through the powerplay, racing out to 57/0.
Beghin (32) played an array of shots, including a reverse-pull over deep point for six, while Solia showcased his power hitting 6 fours and 2 sixes on his way to a career-best 75 off 56 balls. Will (29) and Robbie O’Donnell (27*) both combined with Solia to help push the ACES to 176/3 from their 20 overs
After Will Somerville (2-34) bowled Rachin Ravindra in the third over, Finn Allen hit a blistering half-century to lead the Firebirds out of the powerplay.
Allen impressed with 9 fours and a six, racing to a 20-ball fifty, and his partnership with Troy Johnson (50*) threatened to take the game away from the ACES early on.
When debutant Ollie Pringle combined with a fleet-footed Ben Lister to nab Finn Allen with his first ball, the ACES had an opening. Robbie O’Donnell’s wicket of Firebirds skipper Michael Bracewell gave the ACES a lift before Fraser Colson (22) and Jamie Gibson (24) gave the Firebirds inning a second wind.
Danru Ferns then came back from 22 runs from his first over to finish with figures of 2-39 from his four overs, but a pair of late Lauchie John’s blows took the Firebirds over the line with four balls to spare.
The ACES and HEARTS next head to Alexandra to take on the Volts and Sparks on 28 December.
Image Credit: PhotoSportNZ