With just a week and a half until the Dream11 Super Smash Finals weekend at the Cello Basin Reserve (1-2 February), defending women's champion Wellington Blaze has put in a dress rehearsal on their home turf after dominating the Canterbury Magicians today in the capital.
Melie Kerr's Blaze now sits just four points (one win) behind leader the Otago Sparks and, with three rounds to come for the Wellingtonians, can still snatch direct entry to the Grand Final for a fourth straight year.
PHOTOSPORT
Blaze posted a formidable 171/3 after Kerr elected to bat, the highest total in the women's competition this season - bettering the 152/7 set by Northern Brave last week.
Rebecca Burns (an unbeaten 59* off 51 at first drop) top-scored while Jess Kerr continued her outstanding all-round season, backing up 44 off 29 balls with a searing 4/11 — making double breakthroughs in both her first and last overs to underpin a comfortable 39-run win.
The Blaze has now won five games from seven rounds, and the frontrunning Otago Sparks are the only team to have defeated them (twice) this season.
The Sparks have one fewer games in hand, and are back in action tomorrow against the Auckland Hearts, in Auckland. If both the Sparks and Blaze keep on winning, the top qualifier (direct entry to the Grand Final) will come down to net run rate (the Blaze currently ahead on that front).