A rainy weekend in Whangarei couldn't stop the HEARTS from picking up their first win of 2023/24 against Northern Districts at Cobham Oval.

The Hallyburton Johnstone Shield kicked off around the country under similar conditions to last season and it ended up being a minor miracle that any play was possible at all in Whangarei.

Saturday's match was rained out but Sunday went ahead as usual with new captain Maddy Green being sent in to bat by Northern Districts skipper Eimear Richardson.

Immediately it looked like a good toss to win with the HEARTS top order collapsing in a heap to ND seamers Boucher and Knight.

At 75/6 a herculean effort was required to lift Auckland to a passable total and thankfully, Josie Penfold and Prue Catton were up for the task.

Batting watchfully at first then picking up the pace as the wicket eased, the middle order pair put on 104 for the 7th wicket, lifting the HEARTS to a respectable 206 all out.

Penfold hit her first half century in professional cricket with 58 and Prue Catton fell one short of her first HBJ Shield 50.

Chasing 207, ND lost Nensi Patel for a golden duck to Bree Illing before Tash Wakelin went on the attack, carting Illing and Molly Penfold to all corners of Cobham Oval.

At 84/2 in the 13th over, the game could've been sealed with another 5 overs of attacking batting but once again, the HEARTS showed admirable resilience, triggering a collapse as a team with a run out and a brace of wickets to all the pace bowlers.

Debutant Rishika Jaswal, on her 17th birthday, picked up two wickets and bowled with impressive control. Once she accounted for Wakelin for 59, the game was effectively sealed.

In the end, the rain had final say as the game was called off with Northern Districts at 140/9, 60 runs behind on Duckworth Lewis Stern.

Amie Hucker was arguably the pick of the bowlers for the HEARTS with 2/26, picking up wickets and bowling miserly as Wakelin caused carnage.

The HEARTS will play their only home HBJ matches of the season next weekend at Kennards Hire Community Oval against the Central Hinds.


AUCKLAND HEARTS 206 (JO Penfold 58, P Catton 49) beat Northern Districts 140/9 (NA Wakelin 59) by 60 runs (DLS method)

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Article added: Monday 20 November 2023