Otago Sparks

Last updated

Otago Sparks
Otago Sparks logo.png
Personnel
Captain Suzie Bates
Coach Craig Cumming
Team information
Colours Otago Volts colours.svg
FoundedFirst recorded match: 1932
Home ground University Oval, Dunedin
Secondary home ground(s) Whitestone Contracting Stadium, Oamaru
Queenstown Events Centre, Queenstown
History
First-class debut Wellington
in 1940
at  Basin Reserve, Wellington
HBJS  wins4
SS  wins1
Official website Otago Cricket

The Otago Sparks is the women's cricket representative team for the New Zealand region of Otago and the surrounding area. They play their home games at University Oval, Dunedin. They compete in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield one-day competition and the Women's Super Smash Twenty20 competition.

Contents

History

Otago made their first appearance in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield in 1939–40, where they lost to Wellington. [1] The following period in the one-day competition was dominated by Auckland and Wellington, however, and Otago did not record a second-place finish until 1957–58. [2] They finished second again in 1960–61 before finally winning their first title in 1962–63, winning two matches and drawing one. [3] [4] In 1967–68, Otago competed in the Australian Women's Cricket Championships, finishing fourth out of five. [5]

Otago did not play in major competition between 1983–84 and 1997–98. Some Otago players instead played for Southern Districts, which competed between 1983–84 and 1987–88. [6] They returned for the 1998–99 season, but finished bottom of the one-day competition points table. [7]

Otago won their second one-day competition in 2013–14, finishing second in the group stage before beating Auckland in the final, helped by 99 from captain Suzie Bates and winning by 3 wickets off the penultimate delivery. [8] [9] They won their third one-day competition in 2021–22, finishing second in the group stage to qualify for the final, before beating group winners Wellington in the final by 138 runs. [10] They won their fourth one-day competition in 2023–24, this time topping the group stage and defeating Wellington in the final. [11]

Otago have also competed in the Twenty20 Super Smash since its inception in 2007–08, finishing second in 2014–15 before winning the title in 2016–17. [12] [13] They finished second in the group stage in 2016–17, but beat group winners Canterbury in the final, with Suzie Bates scoring 74 and Kate Heffernan taking 4/21. [14] Otago bowler Leigh Kasperek was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with 8 wickets. [15]

Grounds

Otago played their first home Hallyburton Johnstone Shield match at University Oval, Dunedin, and the ground has remained the side's primary home ground throughout their history. They also used Logan Park and Carisbrook, also in Dunedin, until the early 2000s. [16] [17]

From 2005, the side began using Molyneux Park, Alexandra and in 2007 Queens Park, Invercargill. In the 2017–18 season, they also began using Whitestone Contracting Stadium, Oamaru. In 2021–22, the side primarily used University Oval, as well as playing two games at Whitestone Contracting Stadium and three, for the first time, at Queenstown Events Centre. In 2022–23, the side used University Oval and Queenstown Events Centre for their home matches. [17] [18]

Players

Current squad

Based on squad announced for the 2023–24 season. Players in bold have international caps. [19]

No.NameNationalityBirth dateBatting styleBowling styleNotes
Batters
7Caitlin BlakelyFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 7 January 1996 (age 28)Right-handedRight-arm medium
All-rounders
17 Hayley Jensen Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 7 October 1992 (age 31)Right-handedRight-arm medium
18Paige LoggenbergFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 15 October 2003 (age 20)Right-handedRight-arm medium
23 Suzie Bates Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 16 September 1987 (age 36)Right-handedRight-arm medium Captain
33Saffron WilsonFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 5 December 2001 (age 22)Right-handedRight-arm medium
36Gemma AdamsFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 15 February 2002 (age 22)Right-handedRight-arm medium
49 Felicity Leydon-Davis Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 22 June 1994 (age 30)Right-handedRight-arm medium Vice-captain
Wicket-keepers
11Olivia GainFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 2 January 2002 (age 22)Right-handed—
21Bella JamesFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 27 January 1999 (age 25)Right-handed—
29Polly InglisFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 31 May 1996 (age 28)Right-handed—
Bowlers
5Louisa KotkampFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 16 September 2005 (age 18)Right-handedRight-arm medium
10Molly LoeFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 25 June 2003 (age 21)Right-handedRight-arm medium
14Sophie OldershawFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 20 May 1998 (age 26)Right-handedRight-arm leg break
23Chloe DeernessFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 23 August 2005 (age 18)Right-handedRight-arm off break
24 Eden Carson Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 8 August 2001 (age 22)Right-handedRight-arm off break
30Emma BlackFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 8 August 2001 (age 22)Right-handedRight-arm medium
46Poppy-Jay WatkinsFlag of England.svg  England 24 January 2004 (age 20)Right-handedLeft-arm medium

Notable players

Players who have played for Otago and played internationally are listed below, in order of first international appearance (given in brackets): [20]

Coaching staff

Honours

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Milburn represented both the Netherlands and New Zealand in international cricket.

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References

  1. ↑ "Hallyburton Johnstone Challenge Shield 1939–40". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  2. ↑ "Hallyburton Johnstone Shield 1957–58". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  3. ↑ "Hallyburton Johnstone Shield 1960–61". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  4. ↑ "Hallyburton Johnstone Shield 1962–63 Table". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  5. ↑ "Australian Women's Cricket Championships 1967/68". CricketArchive. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  6. ↑ Watkin, Evan (October 2015). "The History of Women's Domestic Cricket in New Zealand" (PDF). Cricket Wellington. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  7. ↑ "State Insurance Cup 1998–99". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  8. ↑ "New Zealand Women's One-Day Competition 2013–14". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  9. ↑ "Auckland Women v Otago Women, 25 January 2014". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  10. ↑ "Final, Queenstown, Feb 27 2022, New Zealand Cricket Women's One Day Competition: Wellington Women v Otago Women". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  11. ↑ "Hallyburton Johnstone Shield 2023–24". CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  12. ↑ "New Zealand Women's Twenty20 Competition 2014/15". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "New Zealand Women's Twenty20 Competition 2016/17". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  14. ↑ "Canterbury Women v Otago Women, 11 February 2017". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  15. ↑ "Bowling in New Zealand Women's Twenty20 Competition 2016/17 (Ordered by Wickets)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  16. ↑ "Women's First-Class Matches played by Otago Women". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  17. 1 2 "Women's List A Matches played by Otago Women". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  18. ↑ "Women's Twenty20 Matches played by Otago Women". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  19. ↑ "Exciting prospects earn contracts for the SBS Bank Otago Sparks". Otago Cricket. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  20. ↑ "Otago Women Players". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  21. ↑ "Coach seeks to get most out of Sparks". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
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