Match no. 22 of the ongoing 2023-24 Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (HJS) season will feature a contest between Otago Sparks and Northern Brave at the University Oval, Dunedin. The game will be played at 3:00 AM Indian Standard Time (IST) on the 4th of February, 2024.
Squads:
Otago Sparks – Suzie Bates, Emma Black, Caitlin Blakely, Eden Carson, Chloe Deerness, Olivia Gain, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Louisa Kotkamp, Molly Loe, Felicity Robertson (C), Sophie Oldershan, Saffron Wilson
Northern Brave – Eimear Richardson (C), Holly Topp (WK), Tash Wakelin, Nensi Patel, Caitlin Gurrey, Jess Watkin, Sam Barriball, Marina Lamplough, Marama Downes, Jesse Prasad, Kayley Knight, Lucy Boucher
Players to watch out:
Polly Inglis
The 27-year-old keeper-batter, from 6 HJS outings this summer, has amassed 233 runs, at an average of 46.60, and registered the highest of 73. Polly wasn’t at her best in the recently concluded Super Smash (Twenty20) season; however, she kicked off the 2nd leg HJS fixtures with a fine 36 and will be backed to capitalize on this start.
Eden Carson
The 22-year-old off-spinner, averaging 10.81 and maintaining an economy rate of 3.07, has taken 11 wickets from 5 HJS outings this season. Eden has been in notable form lately, consistently amongst wickets, and on HJS return, produced figures of 1/33. She can be handy with the bat and will be relied upon for the goods, both with the bat and ball.
Tash Wakelin
The 18-year-old middle-order batter this HJS edition, from 6 appearances, has accumulated 145 runs, including the highest of 46, at an average of 24.16. Though Tash departed for a duck on HJS’s return, in the Smash, she registered a fifty, beside a string of starts. She will be trusted to stage a turnaround, leading the runs chart for the team.
Marama Downes
The 21-year-old pacer in the ’23/24 HJS season has scalped 10 wickets, maintaining an economy rate of 4.31. Continuing her excellent form from the Smash to the Shield, Marama returned figures of 3/37 while also chipping in with a 24 with the bat on HJS’s return. It’ll be expected of her to make the most of this form.
Pitch:
The center wicket at University Oval favors batters, reflected by an average score in the 240s. While conditions are conducive for batting, the wicket also offers assistance to bowlers, pacers in particular.
Weather:
The conditions are expected to be pleasant for the game, despite partly cloudy skies as the chances of rain are minimal. The temperature is forecasted to hover around 19°C, with light winds and humidity of 74%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Caitlin Gurrey, Polly Inglis, Suzie Bates, Caitlin Blakely, Bella James, Emma Black, Jess Watkin, Felicity Robertson, Nensi Patel, Marama Downes, Eden Carson
Match details:
Date – February 4, 2024
Time – 3:00 AM IST
Venue – University Oval, Dunedin
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on Cricket New Zealand’s YouTube channel.