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Wellington Blaze scorch through to Super Smash final with victory over Northern Brave
Sport Nation • February 1st, 2025 3:30 pm
Photo: Photosport
The Wellington Blaze have defeated the Northern Brave by 23 runs in the Super Smash Elimination Final at the Basin Reserve on Saturday.
The victory secures them a berth in Sunday's final - their eight consecutive - against the top-seed Otago Volts, where they'll try to defend their title.
Captain Melie Kerr was the star for the hometown heroes, scoring 29 off 24 balls in their opening effort at bat, before turning the tide of an evenly poised contest with a double strike in her first over, finishing with figures of 4/19.
Melie Kerr double strike turns tide for Blaze in Super Smash Elimination Final I Sport Nation
The locals made a fast start after being sent into bat, raced to 23/0 in two overs before Burns trapped dead in front of her stumps by Downes.
The red-hot Kerr was the catalyst for the Blaze, until a poorly timed shot off the bowling of Kayley Knight saw her depart for 29, an enormous breakthrough for the visitors to take the score to 63/3.
That wicket put the brakes on the innings, with Brown dismissed a few overs later, trapped LBW by Patel off a delivery that appeared to have taken an edge before hitting her front pad.
In the 15th over, Knight stepped up to claim another critical wicket in Jess Kerr, forcing the White Fern to sky one of her own bowling and doing very well to sprint through and get underneath it.
Jess Kerr I Photo: Photosport
That reduced the hosts to the precarious position of 88/5 with a shade over five overs to play.
Jess McFadyen and Caitlin King played a key late hand for the Blaze, combining for a 41-run partnership to see them through to a competitive total of 133/6.
In the Braves' reply, Jess Watkin was her typical swashbuckling self out of the gates but could only watch as two of her teammates strolled back to the pavilion to see the score to 25/2 after three overs.
Super Smash Finals Preview I Sport Nation
The critical blow came an over later, when Watkin failed to ground her bat after being sent back to her crease by her teammate, out for 25 off 13 balls to leave her side at 37/3.
With the Brave ticking over the scoreboard neatly, Melie Kerr stepped up to make an instant impact, bowling Caitlin Gurrey for 19 with her first delivery of the day, then adding another two balls later, trapping Sam Barriball to take the score to 61/5 in the eight over.
Nensi Patel anchored the Brave to keep them within reach of the run rate until she became Kerr's third victim of the day, leaving the visitors needing 34 runs off 37 balls with just three wickets in hand.
Two wickets in as many balls left the Brave teetering, with Jess Kerr adding the finishing touch in the penultimate over.
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