Katey Martin capped a week to remember in the best style possible — with a captain’s unbeaten century and classy six-wicket win as the Otago Sparks handed Northern Spirit a hard lesson in Lincoln’s round six Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.
It delivered much needed back-to-back victories for the charging southerners, dynamo Martin backing up from her half century in her 150th match the previous day.
The 32-year-old WHITE FERNS hard hitter raised her three figures with her 13th boundary, clipped off Tayla Hollis, for her fifth one-day hundred for the Sparks, slammed off just 108 deliveries.
Earlier, her Sparks put on a disciplined bowling display to hold Spirit to 224 for nine, captain Natalie Dodd anchoring with a patient 43 while opening partner Kate Anderson belted 41 from 56 balls in an 86-run opening stand, before Anderson was caught off Emma Black.
Sam Curtis (38) and Bernadine Bezuidenhout (31) kept the early runs flowing but Spirit needed someone to kick on.
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Instead, the wickets started to clatter as Leigh Kasperek (above) again took control with a return of three for 36, supported by pace import Beth Langston who built excellent pressure.
While Spirit made a promising start with the ball, Martin and Kasperek took the Sparks from 57 for three to 132 for four, Kasperek falling just shy of a half century with the win already well in sight.
