McLEOD MAIDEN CENTURY IN IMPRESSIVE HINDS WIN
The CENTRAL HINDS are breathing down the Auckland Hearts' necks after the second weekend of national Hallyburton Johnstone Shield action.
The team's first two of four matches in Palmerston North this season saw the honours shared between Wellington Blaze and the Hinds on the weekend, with the Blaze winning Saturday's Viv Stephens Memorial Trophy match by 45 runs before the Hinds bounced back big time on Sunday - dominating the match to the tune of 129 runs (DLS) in what turned out to be a mercifully rain-shortened rematch.
Sunday's game was a class performance all round from the Central women, but it will be chiefly remembered for Emma McLeod's landmark maiden List A and Domestic ton.
Hinds captain HANNAH ROWE won the toss on both mornings, choosing to bowl first on Saturday, and bat first on Sunday when the next few hours would belong to 19-year-old McLeod.
Already a capped WHITE FERN, the rising star wrote another couple of lines in her already impressive cricketing CV by carrying her bat for an unbeaten 139*, off just 145 balls.
That's the sixth highest score in Hinds history.
As an attractive leg-side player who's unafraid to pull out a ramp shot - and quick between the wickets (she scampered a three to get to three figures), McLeod's century came off 115 deliveries, and she had solid support in consecutive century partnerships.
CATE PEDERSEN (51) got her maiden HBJ half century as the pair put on 104 for the second wicket.
When that came to an end in the 22nd over, left-hander FLORA DEVONSHIRE got stuck in to help build a 119-run stand for the third wicket.
Unleashed after reaching her hundred in the 38th over, McLeod just kept motoring as the Hinds put a hefty 274/6 on the board.
They then reduced the Blaze to 97/7 before rain arrived and spared the capital any more pain.
With the ball, McLeod's Wairarapa teammate LIZZY COHR had another brilliant outing, taking a four-wicket career best in her second match.
Cohr had debuted in the Sunday game a fortnight earlier in New Plymouth with 4/35, and when she stepped back into the XI for the Sunday match in Palmerston North, she ripped a new career best of 4/13 - including the crucial wicket of Rebecca Burns before coming back for three wickets in the space of four balls.
Now Cohr is second-equal among the competition's wicket-takers, and that's after having played just two of the four rounds. Her bowling average is in spectacular single figures - just 6.00 - and she owns two of the best seven returns.
The Hinds picked up a valuable bonus point from Sunday's exhibition and they'll be back at Fitzherbert Park in a week and a half's time to play two more matches against defending champion the Otago Sparks who are meanwhile languishing winless at the bottom of the table with injuries to a couple of influential players in Suzie Bates and Eden Carson.
The Sparks have won the national one-day title three times in the last four years and meanwhile Jess Watkin's Northern Districts women, the only side never to have won the trophy, are top of the table after three wins.
PHOTOSPORT
The Hinds' only disappointment will be Saturday's stumble which saw the annual Viv Stephens Memorial platter fall from their grasp.
The Hinds headed in as the holder of the special trophy after having beaten the Blaze in Wellington last season, but this time the tables were turned as about the only thing that went right for the hosts was Rowe winning the toss.
Unlike the calm Sunday, it was a windy, enervating day, albeit in bright sunshine.
The Hinds did manage to startle the Blaze first ball, Rosemary Mair trapping Blaze captain Georgia Plimmer for a royal duck.
But an 89-run second-wicket stand between Hannah Francis and dangerwoman Burns got things flowing, and Burns had looked like she would be racing to a bruising century - until she holed out off Rowe on 87, at 182/4.
That was the 36th over, and although the Blaze lost six wickets at the death, Xara Jetly's 41 helped them on the way to a decent total of 240/9.
The Hinds initially looked like they were going to fall a long way short of that, after Jetly kept having a field day - she returned a devastating 6/39, the best figures yet by anyone this season and the Wellington spinner's career best.
It was her maiden bag, with previous best figures of 4/37 as the Viv Stephens Memorial Trophy booked a passage to Wellington.
But Sunday saw the Hinds take stylish revenge, thanks to one of their best all-round displays and a special ton.
Entry to rounds five and six of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield on 13 and 14 December is free, with free livestreams to watch here ar www.cdcricket.co.nz
Article added: Wednesday 3 December 2025
