The Auckland HEARTS have put in a near-complete performance to do the double over Northern Districts at the Eden Park Outer Oval this weekend.
Batting first, this time after winning the toss, the HEARTS again found themselves in early trouble at 28/2.
Though skipper Lauren Down and Katie Perkins took the HEARTS out of the powerplay, Northern Districts hit back through a one-handed catch by Lauren Heaps at short fine-leg.
The partnership of the match then batted the HEARTS into a strong position. On her return to the side, Saachi Shahri joined Perkins at the crease and the pair slowly built away. Perkins was her usual self, putting the ball into gaps and running hard, while Shahri started quickly and maintained her strike-rate throughout.
By the time Perkins (63) was well-caught at backward point by Nensi Patel, the HEARTS were on track for a total of 250+.
The innings fell away after Shahri was caught for an excellent 65 off 67 deliveries. Brooke Halliday proved difficult to get away for the incoming players, picking up career-best figures of 4-33 as the HEARTS were bowled out for 222 two balls into the final over.
In reply, Roz McNeill’s opening burst gave the HEARTS a pair of early scalps in the opening ten overs. McNeill (2-35) trapped Katie Gurrey in front before Halliday’s fine edge was well-taken by Sarah Carnachan standing up to the stumps.
Kate Anderson received a life early on and threatened to make the HEARTS pay, combining with Felicity Leydon-Davis and, later, Eimear Richardson. The HEARTS were on alert when Anderson (55) and Richardson (26) were together.
The match turned again when Bella Armstrong (2-30) bagged both set players in consecutive overs. In between trapping Anderson in front and Richardson picking out Regina Lilii at deep square, Jonas found Lucy Boucher’s outside edge to give Carnarchan a second sharp catch.
Jonas (3-22) picked up a third to make it seven for the weekend before Prasad (2-18) repeated her closing act by claiming the last wicket of the day. The 46-run win made it two-from-two for the HEARTS against Northern Districts and four wins a row, keeping the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield defence alive.
Attention now turns to the Dream11 SuperSmash starting on Thursday 24 December in Wellington.