FairBreak Invitational: Spirit and Warriors maintain unbeaten starts, as batters make most of brighter conditions
- Ellie Johnston and Phoebe Litchfield put on 87 for first wicket as Warriors down Falcons
- Nicola Carey hits half-century before Ayabonga Khaka takes 4 wickets in Spirit’s win over Sapphires
Spirit and Warriors maintained their unbeaten starts to the 2023 FairBreak Invitational tournament, with convincing wins at Kowloon Cricket Club on Friday.
Warriors chased down their target of 134 to beat Falcons by five wickets with 14 balls to spare, thanks for an explosive opening stance of 87 between Ellie Johnston (38) and Phoebe Litchfield (32).
The Falcons, for whom Hong Kong’s Mariko Hill took three wickets, did not help their own cause, conceding 24 extras in the 17.4 overs they bowled.
Their second win in three games moved Warriors to the top of the table on 10 points, while Spirit are just behind them having played a game less.
In the first clash of the day, Nicola Carey set the platform for her Spirit side’s 12-run win. Spirit scored 121 for eight in their 20 overs, with Carey hitting 52 off 34 balls, and she then watched as Ayabonga Khaka ripped through the Sapphires batting, taking four wickets for just 13 runs in her four overs.
“It was a great game for us, and I think we knew what we wanted as a team,” Khaka, who was named player of the match, said. “I think we were about 10-20 runs short, but we backed our bowlers to do the job and we were pleased with how we executed our plans.”
