The ongoing 2023-24 Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (HJS) will feature a contest between Wellington Blaze and Canterbury Magicians at the Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington. The game is scheduled for 3:00 AM Indian Standard Time (IST) on the 17th of February 2024.
Squads:
Wellington Blaze – Leigh Kasperek (C), Nicole Baird, Rebecca Burns, Kate Chandler, Tash Codyre, Hannah Francis, Xara Jetly, Jess Kerr, Caitlin King, Jess Mcfadyen (WK), Georgia Plimmer, Gemma Sims
Canterbury Magicians – Laura Hughes (C), Kate Anderson, Sarah Asmussen, Missy Banks, Natalie Cox, Jodie Dean, Harriet Graham, Emma Irwin, Frankie Mackay, Jacinta Savage, Izzy Sharp, Jess Simmons, Gabby Sullivan
Players to watch out:
Leigh Kasperek
The 32-year-old all-rounder, with 8 HJS appearances this edition, has amassed 271 runs and scalped 10 wickets, with respective bests of 89 and 5/16. Leigh kicked off the 2nd leg fixtures with a solid 66 and figures of 1/33, though didn’t have a good outing the following game. She has been in bright form lately and can be relied upon for the goods.
Xara Jetly
The 22-year-old off-spinner this summer, from 8 HJS outings, has picked up 11 wickets, maintaining an economy rate of 4.16 and registering the best of 3/25. Continuing her stellar form, Xara produced figures of 2/57 and 3/46 in her recent couple of One-Day outings. It’ll be hoped she carries forward this momentum into the business end.
Frankie Mackay
The 33-year-old all-rounder has posted 295 runs on the board, including the highest of 71, and bagged 11 wickets, including the best of 3/45, from eight ’23/24 HJS outings. Frankie has registered consecutive scores of 61 and 71 while returning figures of 2/32 and 2/44. She is an experienced campaigner and will be trusted for another all-round effort.
Sarah Asmussen
The 23-year-old leg-spinner has taken 12 wickets at an economy rate of 5.13 from 8 HJS outings this season and registered the best of 3/21. Following a decent Twenty20 season and a wicketless HJS return, Sarah got back amongst wickets in her most recent outing, recording figures of 2/70. She’ll be backed to maximize this return to form.
Pitch:
The wicket at Cello Basin Reserve provides a certain degree of assistance to the batters. Although it is a batting-friendly surface, the average score at the venue remains in the 210s. Additionally, the spinners also benefit from ample assistance to exploit.
Weather:
Despite mostly cloudy skies, the chances of rain are minimal, and the conditions are ideal for a complete game of cricket in Wellington. The temperature is expected to hover around 22°C, with light winds and humidity at 81%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Jess Mcfadyen, Georgia Plimmer, Rebecca Burns, Kate Anderson, Frankie Mackay, Leigh Kasperek, Kate Chandler, Gabby Sullivan, Sarah Asmussen, Xara Jetly, Nicole Baird
Match details:
Date – February 17, 2024
Time – 3:00 AM IST
Venue – Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the New Zealand Cricket YouTube channel.