The Otago Sparks have claimed their first win of the season — in any format — with a final-over victory over the Northern Spirit in domestic cricket's Twenty20 Super Smash.
The Sparks had lost eight on the trot, and a ninth looked likely when struggling at 33-3 in their chase of the Spirit's rain-adjusted target of 102 in 13 overs.
However, Hayley Jensen (32 off 17 balls) and Caitlin Blakely (32 not out off 24) put on a pivotal partnership at Bay Oval in Mt Maunganui, with Blakely blasting a four to bring the Sparks home with four balls to spare.
The win moved the Sparks to 1-2 for the season, with the Spirit, who had beaten the defending champion Wellington Blaze in a final-over thriller at the same venue a day earlier, dropping to 2-1.
The 1-0 Canterbury Magicians are now the only unbeaten team in the competition.
