A pōwhiri marked the beginning of the inaugural Māori Wāhine Nationals at Cornwall Park, Hastings. Teams were welcomed to the ground by Te roopu kapa haka o Ngāti Kahungunu, before Andrew Tara (NZC Diversity & Inclusion Lead) officially opened the tournament.
Read match reports from the day, below.
Central Districts Māori 103-2 off 13.0 overs beat Te Whanganui-a-Tara 99-6 off 20 overs
CD Māori got their tournament off to a flier with a resounding win against Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Batting first, Te Whanganui-a-Tara captain, Caitlin King, led the way – scoring a crucial half-century off 44 balls. CD Māori were able to restrict through tight spells of bowling, keeping Te Whanganui-a-Tara to just 99-6 off their 20 overs. CD captain Georgia Atkinson got the innings off to an ideal start, scoring 44 runs off just 21 balls. A valuable 23* from Sam Mackinder eventually seeing CD to their first victory of tournament.
Northern Māori 124-7 off 20.0 overs beat Tāmaki Makaurau Māori 118-8 off 20 overs
Northern Māori edged out Tāmaki Makaurau Māori in a last over thriller. Batting first, ND Māori were able to total a competitive 124-7 thanks to captain Holly Topp (32) and opener Zamera Ikiua (25). Leg-spinner Mollie Drumm (3-14) proved impactful for the Aucklanders. Tāmaki Makaurau got off to a positive start through openers Jess Smith (31) and Skye Bowden (18), before a sharp stumping broke the partnership. ND Māori were then able to put pressure on with the ball, taking wickets and bowling economical spells. Needing eight to win of the last over, ND Māori’s Meddy Hyde (1-15) took a key wicket, and a runout on the final ball captured a fantastic victory for ND.
