STYLISH GREEN GETS THE HEARTS HOME

December 6, 2017. Growing up around cricket, you spend a lot of time in the beating sun. You learn about the value of hydration and keeping cool as well as utilising the shade while you can. Even after a lifetime of experience and many offerings of sage advice to get out of Saturday’s sun, I woke up on Sunday sunburnt for the first time. Sometimes, as Saturday reminded me, things don’t always go to plan (unless on this day your name happened to be Emma Fulbrook).

Earlier the day had started with indecision. Where to go? Who to watch? How long do I stay? With the season in full swing, there is a lot of cricket to choose from. In the end, I figured this would be my last opportunity to catch the Auckland Hearts in action this summer, so Melville Park won the day for some Hallyburton Johnstone Shield action.

Once again, I arrived a few balls into the action. The Canterbury Magicians had won the toss and decided to bat first on a new wicket. It was slow going early on as the Magicians looked to set a platform.

By the end of the eleventh over, Holly Huddleston had already taken the wickets of Evelyn Jones and Amy Satterthwaite and Canterbury were in need of consolidation.

Any positivity shown by Jones and Satterthwaite led to misfortune as both players swiped at width; Jones edged a low chance through to keeper Sarah Carnachan and Satterthwaite cut firmly to Lauren Down at point who dived to her left to take a sharp catch.

From there, Fulbrook trapped Kate Ebrahim in front in her first over and the Magicians were in trouble. The Hearts Week One blueprint – squeeze the opponents and chase – was in full effect and the rest of the innings had a predictability to it.

Survival, bat the fifty overs and see what we can muster. With plenty of overs to bat and seven wickets in hand, the innings needed courage – someone to take the game on and get a total to defend.

There are two arguments here. On one side, we don’t want to waste any balls. On the other, what’s the difference between 150 all out off 35 overs and 150/8 off 50? I’ve had this discussion with many a cricketing mind. On Saturday, I heard a new perspective. ‘One approach shows positivity and promise. The other shows fear and limitation.’

The Hearts certainly contributed to the pressure on the Magicians, but they also kept the score ticking over with numerous wides throughout. Coach Dean Flyger sat there quietly keeping his tally as wides and wickets continue to highlight the play.

Maybe it was my inattention, but every time Fulbrook was brought on to bowl, she appeared to grab herself a wicket. She would end with four as she cut down any hope of a middle order revival. While Fulbrook went to work during the middle of the innings, the pair of Junior Hearts for the Day were putting manager Sue Borich through her paces asking all types of cricketing questions.

Overs. Field sets. Who bowls? Who bats? Shirt numbers. Fast bowling. Spin bowling. Throwing. Batting. You name it, the girls asked it.

35 overs in, the Hearts were down two crucial members of their top order. Anna Peterson was ill and Katie Perkins broke her thumb attempting to take a diving catch in the outfield. It placed greater urgency in finishing off the Canterbury tail. Allie Mace-Cochrane and Laura Hughes combined late on a sun-baked quickening wicket to push the Magicians total to 147 all out. It wasn’t imposing by any means, but the Hearts did have some uncertainty over the make up of their batting order.

Auckland's chase didn’t get off to the best of starts as opener Saachi Shahri was caught at slip via the keeper. Skipper Maddy Green joined Down in hopes of setting up the chase. Down had looked as comfortable as any player up until the pair decided to test the theory of running on a misfield. Unfortunately for Down, the ball didn’t go far and Jones threw the stumps down at the bowlers end. In nothing more than an odd stat, it was the sixth run-out Green had been involved in within 24 hours.

I looked down the order with limited knowledge and thought we might just have a game on our hands. As Maia Bouchier came to the crease, the Hearts had other ideas. Green, having already come down the wicket and twice driven to the long-on boundary, started to play with real confidence.

It took Bouchier a while to get going, but time was on her side and she mixed up deft touches with crisp timing. At a time when the game was in the balance, both Bouchier and Green offered up chances in quick succession from the bowling of Lea Tahuhu. Green took her chance and ran with it.

Having passed fifty, from 88 balls, she hit a one-bounce four to the longest boundary on the ground. Her teammates yelled out in jest for her to hit it harder and use the middle. At that point, you knew the Hearts were on top.

It seems funny to say when it could really have been a tricky chase, but it was a shame there weren’t more runs to score. Both players deserved the opportunity to pass significant milestones – Green, 100 and Bouchier, 50 – but an unbeaten partnership of 112 and the eight-wicket victory it ensured will have to suffice. Green would end the match with the only six of the day as she finished on 79* and Bouchier on 39*.

After a much tighter triumph on Sunday, the Hearts would complete another perfect weekend extending their streak to six games – two T20s and four One-Dayers.