Melie Kerr’s Wellington Blaze has eased into the women's Dream11 Super Smash Grand Final for the eighth consecutive year, ending Northern Brave’s dream of making the trophy match for the very first time.
The defending champion has lifted the trophy on all but two of those occasions, and now progresses to meet the only team that beat them twice in the regular season, top qualifier the Otago Sparks, in tomorrow’s Grand Final at the Cello Basin Reserve.
Kerr starred with bat and ball in today’s hard fought Elimination Final after her side was sent in at the Cello Basin Reserve.
She top-scored with 29 off 24 balls after Brave created pressure with the ball at key periods, restricting Blaze to 133/6 in their 20 overs.
Brave’s exciting young pace bowler Kayley Knight made a successful return from injury in her first Domestic appearance of the season, picking up 2/16 off her three overs — including the prized wicket of Kerr in the ninth over.
But Blaze was always going to be a threat themselves with the ball and, despite Brave captain Jess Watkin getting the chase off to a flier with 25 off just 13 balls — including a bold boundary off the very first ball of Brave’s reply, the Kerr sisters were soon in the thick of the action yet again.
Jess Kerr stopped Watkin at 33/3 at the end of the fourth over, then Melie Kerr made a big double strike when she came on in the eighth — bowling Caitlin Gurrey (19) with her first ball, then trapping Sam Barriball with her fifth.
Kerr struck twice in the 16th over as well, which began with Brave clinging onto hopes of a maiden Final at 96/6.
Brave had needed their last 60 runs from 60 balls, but late wickets put the capital’s class act in control.
Kerr had Nensi Patel caught on 23, then added Carol Agafili cheaply, and finished with a haul of 4/19.
Australian overseas player Maitlan Brown (2/25) then struck at the beginning of the following over to slam the brakes on the Northerners at 102/9.
The final wicket fell in penultimate over with Knight caught off Brown, Blaze ultimately having won the sudden death match comfortably by 23 runs.
Brave was dismissed for 110.