Inferno 124/2 (Trethewey 45 ret, Marshall 40 ret) beat Lightning 107/6 (Baird 35*, Chandler 16, Williams 16, Busby 2-8) by 17 runs  

The Inferno have completed a T20 Quad Series clean-sweep with a 17-run win over the Lightning at Karori Park last night. 

With two wins from the opening two rounds, the Inferno knew a win would be enough for them to claim an overall series victory and they got off to a perfect start with openers Beth Trethewey and Florence Marshall putting on 102 runs for the opening wicket.  

With play reduced to 15 overs per side due to bad light, Trethewey and Marshall went big at the top of the order, hitting eleven boundaries between them before both retiring with four overs of the innings remaining. 

The Lightning bowlers fought back well in the final overs, removing Tash Codyre and Kendyll Cooper cheaply – the Inferno setting a target of 125 for the Lightning to chase. 

In response, the Lightning top order all made starts – openers Phoenix Williams and Kate Chandler showing promise before the latter was run-out after some sharp work from Xara Jetly in the field. 

Esme Olney-Boyd had Wellington Blaze batter Caitlin King out cheaply five balls later which left Nicole Baird and Katie McKenzie with 73 runs still to chase from the remaining eight overs.  

Baird showed fight in the middle overs and her unbeaten 35 from 31 balls kept the Lightning’s hopes alive, but when McKenzie was run-out for five and 13-year-old Cassey Busby nabbed Jess McFadyen and Rachael Lockhart in the same over the Lightning’s hopes diminished. 

In the end the Lightning ran out of overs, reaching 107 from their 15 – the Inferno taking the spoils by 17 runs and completing a perfect women’s T20 Quad series season. 

Heat 90/3 (Plimmer 37, Ryan 23, Greenlees 2-13) lost to Suns 91/7 (Blunden 27*, Fenton 2-9) by three wickets  

The Suns secured themselves a second-place finish in the T20 Quad series with a tight three-wicket win over the Heat in the other match of the final round of play. 

Batting first, the Heat reached 90 from their 15 overs - New Zealand Under 19 international Georgia Plimmer anchoring the innings with a run-a-ball 35 alongside opening partner Hannah Ryan. 

In response the Suns lost wickets at regular intervals with Campbell, Wishnowsky, Conroy and Leach all falling in the first five overs. 

At 18-4 with 10 overs remaining the Heat would have been confident of claiming their first win of the series, but a middle-order cameo from Christine Blunden who finished unbeaten on 27 turned the chase back in the Sun’s favour. 

Hannah Francis (13) and Thamsyn Newton (7) provided support for Blunden who guided her side home with three balls to spare to take a three-wicket win. 

Cricket Wellington community manager for women and girls France Stewart said the second edition of the Women’s T20 Quad Series had been a resounding success. 

“It’s been fantastic to see so many of our younger cricketers have the opportunity to play at a higher level, alongside some of the region’s best players,” she said. 

“We see the Quad Series as another step in the pathway for developing female talent and some of the performances in this year’s series have shown that we are developing some very talented cricketers. 

“The addition of umpires and official playing kit this year has added even more professionalism to the series, and we are grateful to Admark Print for all of their support in helping make it another success.” 

Georgia Plimmer (113) and Wellington Collegian’s Florence Marshall (106) finished as the series’ leading run scorers, while Porirua City’s Ashleigh Henderson finished top of the wicket-taking charts after her best figures of 5-11 in the opening round of matches.  

Article added: Wednesday 17 March 2021