Otago Sparks registered dominant wins against Canterbury Magicians to kick off their 2024-25 Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (HJS) campaign, while the Wellington Blaze had a losing start, but quickly bounced back with a win. The two teams will next go up against each other at the University of Otago Oval, Dunedin, on the 30th of November 2024, at 3:00 AM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
Otago Sparks Women
Felicity Robertson (C), Emma Black, Caitlin Blakely, Anna Browning, Eden Carson, Chloe Deerness, Olivia Gain, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Hayley Jensen, Louisa Kotkamp, Saffron Wilson
Wellington Blaze Women
Rebecca Burns (C), Leigh Kasperek, Nicole Baird, Rachel Bryant, Natasha Codyre, Hannah Francis, Antonia Hamilton Jess Kerr, Caitlin King, Jess Mcfadyen, Gemma Sims, Xara Jetly, Phoenix Williams
Players to watch out:
Caitlin Blakely
The 28-year-old top-order batter, from 10 HJS outings last season, accumulated 272 runs at an average of 27.20, with the highest score of 62. Building on that momentum, Caitlin registered scores of 44, 68, and 21 against England A to cap off the 2023-24 season. She has picked up from where she left off, registering scores of 49* and 42 this season, and can be relied upon to lead the scoring.
Hayley Jensen
The 32-year-old bowling all-rounder featured in only a few games last season but also played in the A series against England, where she returned figures of 4/26 and 1/44 in the One Dayers. Hayley has had a positive start to this domestic season, returning figures of 1/8 (5) and following up with 2/19 (7.5), alongside scoring 38* (42). Given her form, she can be banked upon to deliver all-round efforts.
Rebecca Burns
The 30-year-old opening batter didn’t find much success in the 2023-24 Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, managing only 161 runs, including the highest of 35, from 11 outings. In the ongoing season, Rebecca has again struggled for runs, departing cheaply for scores of 5 (23) and 0 (1). She is a seasoned campaigner and should be backed to find her footing and work her way back among the runs.
Jess Kerr
The 26-year-old bowling all-rounder, in the previous edition of the competition, picked up 3 wickets from 4 innings at an economy rate of 3.58 and also added 101 runs. Fresh off a successful tour of India, where she picked up 5 wickets in 2 ODIs, she has carried that form into this competition, producing bowling figures of 4/17 and 2/23 alongside batting scores of 4 and 36. She can be counted on for the goods.
Pitch:
The University of Otago Oval offers batting-friendly surfaces, and it is expected to be the same this time around. The average score at the venue is in the 240s, and the wicket also provides enough assistance for bowlers, particularly pacers.
Weather:
The temperature is expected to hover around 13°C, with light winds, sunny skies, and 65% humidity. The forecasted conditions promise a complete game in Dunedin.
Fantasy playing XI:
Polly Inglis, Caitlin Blakely, Rebecca Burns, Felicity Robertson, Leigh Kasperek, Anna Browning, Jess Kerr, Eden Carson, Hayley Jensen, Xara Jetly, Emma Black
Match details:
Date – November 30, 2024
Time – 3:00 AM IST
Venue – University of Otago Oval, Dunedin
Broadcast – The game will be live streamed on New Zealand Cricket’s YouTube channel.
