Arguably the two best teams of the tournament, Otago Sparks led by skipper Felicity Leydon-Davis, and Auckland Hearts led by skipper Maddy Green, finishing first and second respectively on the points table. As a result of their top-two finishes, they booked their spot for the title clash in the 2024-25 Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.
Maddy Green’s century, Lauren Down’s 90, powers Auckland Hearts to 291
Auckland Hearts skipper Maddy Green won the toss and opted to bat first in the grand finale. The Hearts openers Saachi Shahri and Isabella Gaze got their side off to a steady start with a 30-run opening partnership. Eden Carson picked up the wicket of Saachi Shahri to provide the first breakthrough for the Sparks in the 6th over of the innings.
Auckland Hearts lost a couple of wickets in quick succession and found themselves in trouble at 79/3 in the 20th over of the innings. Lauren Down joined skipper Maddy Green at the crease and the duo took their side past the 250-run mark with a massive 182-run partnership for the 4th wicket, setting a solid platform for a blockbuster finish. Skipper Maddy Green completed her well-compiled century off just 112 balls.
Caitlin Blackley picked up the wicket of Lauren Down (90 off 89 balls) to provide the much-needed 4th breakthrough for Otago Sparks, as she fell 10 runs short of her well-deserved century. Auckland Hearts posted a massive total of 291/5 in their quota of overs. Skipper Maddy Green (126 off 123 balls) was the stand-out performer with the bat, leading from the front for her side.
Skipper Felicity Leydon-Davis (10-1-37-2) and Eden Carson (10-0-63-2) picked up a couple of wickets each, while Emma Black (10–2-49-0) and Caitlin Blackley (2-0-13-1) were impressive with the ball for Otago Sparks.
Felicity Leydon-Davis, Polly Inglis, and Eden Carson deliver the title for Sparks
Chasing a stiff total of 292, the Sparks were in trouble at 8/2 in the 4th over of the run chase. Polly Inglis joined skipper Felicity Leydon-Davis at the crease and the duo led the recovery with a much-needed 148-run partnership for the 3rd wicket. Brooke Halliday broke the stand by bagging the big scalp of the opposition skipper Felicity Leydon-Davis (53 off 66 balls) to provide the much-needed 3rd breakthrough for the Auckland Hearts. Skipper completed her half-century before getting dismissed.
The Sparks suffered a mini collapse after the departure of their skipper, as they were reduced to 190/6 losing their next three wickets for just 34 runs. Eden Carson joined Poppy Jay Watkins at the crease and the duo took their side over the line with a massive unbeaten 102-run partnership for the 7th wicket, to seal the game by four wickets off the last ball.
Wicket-keeper batter Polly Inglis (86 off 85 balls), Eden Carson (59* off 43 balls), and Poppy Jay Watkins (47* off 60 balls) were the star performers with the bat for Otago Sparks. Brooke Halliday (7-0-23-3), Bree Illing (9-0-42-2), Amie Hucker (10-0-50-1), and Anika Todd (10-0-67-0) were impressive with the ball for Auckland Hearts.
