North Island Women edged South Island Women by two runs on the DLS method in a rain-hit second T20 at Saxton Oval, squaring the North vs South Women’s series and setting up a cracking decider.
South’s 169 for 9, built around a sparkling Polly Inglis fifty and Bella James’ fluent support act, looked above par, but North’s positive reply, anchored by Prue Catton, kept them just ahead of the DLS par when the rain swept in after 8.1 overs. Jess Watkin’s five‑wicket haul and Catton’s calm chase under pressure framed a contest that swung repeatedly before the weather finally called time.
In the first innings, South Island Women made full use of winning the toss and opting to bat, overcoming early stutters to post a competitive 169 for 9 from their 20 overs. The top order lost wickets in clusters but kept the scoring rate healthy; South were 50 for 3 inside the powerplay, a score that reflected both their intent and North’s willingness to attack with the new ball.
The platform was just stable enough for the middle order to launch later, even as North’s bowlers, especially Jess Watkin and Bree Illing, kept chipping away. Polly Inglis produced the standout innings of the day, striking 50 off just 30 balls, mixing clean drives with powerful shots over midwicket to wrest back momentum for South.
Her partnership through the middle overs, particularly alongside Bella James, changed the feel of the innings; James compiled a busy 41 off 32 balls and ensured the run rate never sagged despite wickets around her. Together, they took South from a precarious start into a position where 170 became realistic, and their blend of placement and power exposed any loose North bowling.
The closing stages of South’s innings were marked by a tug‑of‑war between aggressive batting and inspired bowling from North Island. While South looked capable of pushing beyond 180 at one stage, Watkin produced a superb spell of 5 for 34, striking regularly to prevent any one partnership from spiraling out of control, and Illing’s tight 2 for 21 in her four overs helped drag the total back under 170.
Chasing 170, North Island Women needed a brisk but controlled start, and openers set exactly that tone by keeping in touch with the asking rate without taking reckless risks. Prue Catton anchored the reply with an assured 32 not out from 26 balls, rotating the strike early before opening up with crisp boundaries as she settled. At the other end, wickets fell just enough to keep South hopeful, with Jess Watkin (13) and Emma McLeod (0) departing early.
The arrival of Flora Devonshire brought another injection of urgency as she counterattacked with 13 not out off 7 balls, turning ones into twos and punishing width to keep North comfortably ahead of the adjusted DLS par. Emma Black’s 1 for 22 from three overs was South’s most probing spell, and she briefly threatened to drag the equation back in their favour, but the lack of support at the other end allowed Catton and Devonshire to reset quickly after each breakthrough.
North’s 64 for 2 after 8.1 overs, with six boundaries already struck, reflected a chase that was measured yet positive. Just as the contest seemed set up for a tight finish over the final dozen overs, the rain arrived in Nelson and refused to budge, forcing the umpires to reach for the DLS sheets. When play was finally abandoned, North’s 64 for 2 in 8.1 overs put them two runs ahead of the DLS target of 63, handing them a narrow but hard‑earned win and levelling the series 1‑1.
It felt a bittersweet end for South, who had ridden Inglis’ half‑century and James’ graft to a strong total, but the day ultimately belonged to North and to Watkin, whose five‑for with the ball and Catton’s composure with the bat ensured the series will go down to a decider.
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