PHOTOSPORT
JESS WATKIN SMASHES FASTEST 50
There was icing on the cake for co-captain JESS WATKIN as our Central Hinds became the first team to defeat the strong Auckland Hearts in this summer’s Dream11 Super Smash — at a buzzing Pukekura Park.
The Hearts had headed to Taranaki having gone four from four but, after winning the toss, 21-year-old Watkin came out and smashed the fastest T20 fifty in Hinds history with her half ton arriving in just 26 balls.
Her aggressive knock (56 off 31) was only just shy of the NZ domestic fastest 50 record.
New Zealand Women's Domestic T20 records - fastest century by balls*
44 SFM Devine W v A Wellington 2015/16
51 SFM Devine W v ND Mt Maunganui 2019/20
54 SJ McGlashan A v ND Hamilton 2013/14
54 CA Gurrey ND v CD Lincoln 2019/20
64 SW Bates O v ND Lincoln 2019/20
73 RH Priest CD v O Dunedin 2011/12
NZ Women's Domestic T20 records - fastest fifty by balls*
24 CA Gurrey ND v CD Lincoln 2019/20
25 KJ Martin O v A Lincoln 2017/18
26 VJ Lind A v CD P North 2007/08
26 SFM Devine W v A Wellington 2015/16
26 JM Watkin CD v A New Plymouth 2019/20
27 SFM Devine W v A Auckland 2008/09
27 SJ McGlashan ND v A Hamilton 2013/14
28 SJ McGlashan CD v A P North 2007/08
28 AE Satterthwaite C v ND Lincoln 2017/18
28 FC Leydon-Davis ND v CD Lincoln 2019/20
29 SFM Devine W v ND Wellington 2013/14
* Statistics courtesy of Francis Payne
PHOTOSPORT
Then, with the ball, Watkin put herself on a hat-trick on the way to a big third win in this season’s campaign for Central, the Hearts 22 runs short in the chase.
PHOTOSPORT
The powerful Whanganui allrounder had blasted five boundaries and three sixes inside the powerplay to have the Hinds racing along after six overs on a day to remember at Pukekura Park.
Watkin had solid support from fellow opener and Taranaki local Emily Cunningham (45 off 50, below) in a 76-run stand for the first wicket that was just a boundary shy of the Hinds’ first wicket record partnership.
PHOTOSPORT
Hearts captain and WHITE FERN Anna Peterson brought herself into the attack in the ninth over and finally nabbed Watkin’s wicket, but Cunningham and Natalie Dodd (40 off 34) continued batting together until the final over as the Hinds reached 161 for three.
PHOTOSPORT
Despite losing opening batsman Lauren Down to concussion, the Hearts made a good start to their chase with Peterson racing to 27 off 18 balls.
But despite neither batting nor bowling on her Central Hinds debut, 16-year-old allrounder Ashtuti Kumar was about to make a big impact in the field.
PHOTOSPORT
Kumar took an impressive running catch to claim the first official wicket, Peterson gone in the seventh over. Watkin then struck again next ball with Cunningham collecting the catch this time to remove Saachi Shahri: 51/2.
Watkin now had 2-7 in her second over and whilst the hat-trick ball was averted, it wasn’t the end of dynamic Kumar’s contributions in the field - later taking another well-judged catch to give Rosemary Mair the wicket of Natasha van Tilsburg.
Kumar also rewarded her team's faith after having been placed in the hot spot at point — a sharp side-on throw coming within a whisker of providing yet another dismissal.
PHOTOSPORT
With Mair having claimed Bella Armstrong (23 off 18) in a wicket maiden, the Hinds were in charge and even an unbeaten half century from composed Hearts veteran Katie Perkins couldn’t stop an important third win of the campaign for the hosts.
It was a fast turnaround from the Hinds who had suffered at the hands of leaders Wellington Blaze the previous day - and lost both Kerry Tomlinson (fractured little finger) and Melissa Hansen (dislocated finger) in the process.
The Hinds now have three games left, with their next home game coming up in the New Year on 2 January - a big McLean Park (Napier) doubleheader with the Central Stags against the Otago Sparks and Volts.
Article added: Sunday 29 December 2019
