ROUND ONE
Wellington Blaze beat Auckland Hearts by 66 runs
Basin Reserve, Wellington, 16 November 2019
See what happened in Round Two here
At the Basin Reserve, the strong Wellington Blaze squad sounded a warning by overwhelming the Auckland Hearts by 66 runs, bowling out the visitors for just 142 and picking up a bonus point for their trouble.
Sent in by new Hearts skipper Anna Peterson, Blaze had posted a total of 208 for five, Thamsyn Newton (above) top-scoring at four with a measured, unbeaten 52* off 92 balls, and later chipping in 2-15 with the ball to boot.
The innings come to an end and we've reached 207/5 with Thamsyn Newton leading the way unbeaten on 52, with good help from Jess Kerr (39). Back for the second innings soon.🏏
— Wellington Blaze (@Wgtn_Blaze) November 16, 2019
LIVE SCORING | https://t.co/OBmWDPrRwA#WEAREWELLINGTON
📸+ @PhotosportNZ pic.twitter.com/71oxBHSg3P
Hearts ace of pace Holly Huddleston had claimed her 100th wicket in the process - just the third bowler to achieve the milestone for her team.
However, the Aucklanders were left with little else to celebrate after crumbling in reply with 11 overs to spare.
Katie Perkins top-scored with just 35 in a stinging loss for a side that has claimed the title three times in the last five years, Newton finishing a good all-round day with two wickets for just 15 runs.
The match featured an unusal injury stoppage (concussion test) when Blaze keeper Jess McFadyen was hit on the visor of her helmet while keeping.
