24 Dec 2018

Volts and Magicians cruise to T20 wins

7:32 am on 24 December 2018

The Otago Volts and Canterbury Magicians have both enjoyed comfortable wins in domestic cricket's T20 Super Smash.

Neil Broom

Neil Broom Photo: Photosport

The Volts beat the Canterbury Kings by five wickets in the men's competition, while the Magicians beat the Otago Sparks by nine wickets in the women's league.

For Canterbury, Steve Murdoch stepped up with the bat, forming a valuable 78-run partnership with Chad Bowes after Andrew Ellis went early.

But once Bowes was bowled by Christi Viljoen for 42, Cole McConchie, Leo Carter and Murdoch all came and went while adding only 25 runs.

Murdoch's classy innings was ended early in the 16th over when he took on Neil Broom's arm in the deep running for two, came up well short of his ground, and was run out for 54 from 33.

In reply, Otago's well-controlled innnings was set up by an opening 81-run stand between Neil Broom (32) and Hamish Rutherford (54), with Anaru Kitchen contributing 44 off 34 balls and Shawn Hicks 31 off 21.

The Volts went into the last over needing 10, but Josh Finnie finished the job with three balls to spare.

In the women's competition, English international Alice Davidson-Richards' 80 off 52 anchored the Otago Sparks to 164, underpinned by skipper Katey Martin's 61 off 46.

But the Sparks' hard work with the bat was undone in the field.

Canterbury opener Kirsty Nation was dropped three times in the first few overs, and made the bowlers pay. She went hard at anything down leg early on, then branched out to start hitting all around the ground as she breezed to 91 from 60 balls

At the other end, Frankie Mackay was more considered and finished the day unbeaten on 62 as Otago cruised home with 15 balls to spare.

The Canterbury women top the table after six matches, with the Otago men level with Northern Districts in first place after one round.