The Hayley Jansen-led South faced off against the Maddy Green-led North in the first of a three-match One Day series on March 28, 2025 (Friday). Featuring the best of domestic talent, the series opener delivered a competitive and thrilling game, setting the stage for an exciting series ahead.
The North openers Jess Watkin and Emma McLeod got their side off to a decent start with a 24-run opening partnership after South skipper Hayley Jensen won the toss and inserted them to bat first. Skipper Hayley Jensen provided the first breakthrough for her side by sending Jess Watkin back to the pavilion in the 4th over of the innings. Emma Black picked up the wicket of Emma McLeod to provide the 2nd breakthrough for South.
Nensi Patel joined skipper Maddy Green at the crease and the pair delivered just what their side needed, taking their side closer to the 100-run mark with a much-needed 55-run partnership for the 3rd wicket. Sarah Asmussen got the big scalp of the opposition skipper Maddy Green (26 off 41 balls) in the 21st over of the innings in her landmark 200th list A appearance.
The departure of their skipper didn’t affect the momentum of the innings as Nensi Patel ensured the scoreboard kept ticking at a brisk rate alongside Hannah Rowe en route to their vital 77-run partnership for the 4th wicket. Anna Browning cleaned up Nensi Patel to break the ominous stand in the 32nd over of the innings. Nensi Patel departed after scoring a brisk half-century (77 off 76 balls). Another impressive 58-run partnership for the 6th wicket between Eve Wolland and Hannah Rowe took them closer to the 240-run mark.
North eventually ended up with a total of 291/9 in their quota of 50 overs, with Hannah Rowe (85 off 86 balls) top-scoring. Emma Black (10-1-42-3), Anna Browning (9-0-49-2), Hayley Jensen (10-0-55-2), and Sarah Asmussen (10-0-64-2) were the stand-out performers with the ball for South.
Chasing a huge target of 292, the South openers Olivia Gain and Bella James got their side off to a flying start with a massive 136-run opening partnership. The pair scored at a rate of over 7 runs an over. Flora Devonshire broke the dangerous stand by removing James (76 off 60 balls), providing the first breakthrough for her side in the 19th over of the run chase. James completed a quick-fire half-century before getting dismissed.
The South collapsed, losing their next four wickets for just 41 runs and finding themselves at 177/5 in the 31st over of the innings. Browning joined skipper Jensen at the crease, and the duo took their side past the 200-run mark with a much-needed 43-run partnership for the 6th wicket. This was followed by another vital 60-run partnership for the 7th wicket between Browning (48 off 63 balls) and Poppy Jay Watkins (28* off 36 balls), keeping the run chase alive for their side.
An unfortunate run-out sent a jolting blow to their hopes, as the skipper had made her way back to the pavilion, a potential turning point of the game. Olivia Gain (58 off 61 balls) completed an impressive half-century providing an ideal start to the run chase for her side. The South Islands were eventually restricted to 285/7 in their quota of overs, as a result, falling 6 runs short of the target.
Nensi Patel (8-0-48-3), Flora Devonshire (10-0-32-2), and Bree Illing (10-2-47-0) were the stand-out performers with the ball for North. Nensi Patel proved her all-round prowess by delivering a decisive all-round impact (77 off 76 balls), her career-best score in the list A games, with the bat, alongside her impressive returns with the ball for her side.
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