Marama Downes' record maiden bag is keeping Northern Brave's title hopes alive.

Booking a spot in the women's Dream11 Super Smash Elimination Final is set to go down to the wire after Northern Brave kept their qualification hopes alive with a 39-run win over the Auckland Hearts on Saturday afternoon.

The win sets up an effective knockout match in Dunedin tomorrow, Tuesday January 23, between the Otago Sparks and Brave women – the last regular season doubleheader day before Friday's men's and women's 2v3 Elimination Final takes place at a yet to be confirmed venue.

With the first five-wicket haul in @ndcricket women's domestic T20 history, your Dream11 Game Changer is Marama Downes! Catch up on all scores at https://t.co/AfrV29hWnn and the NZC App #SuperSmashNZ pic.twitter.com/eUquRv05jR

— Dream11 Super Smash (@SuperSmashNZ) January 20, 2024

Despite a heavy loss to the Sparks on Saturday at University of Otago Oval, the Central Hinds remain in second place on the table for now – but if the Sparks beat the Brave, the Sparks will move ahead to clinch the hosting rights for the Eliminators.

Brave meanwhile can join the Central Hinds on 22 points if they beat the Sparks, and on Saturday lifted their net run rate from -0.17 into positive territory at 0.11, while the Hinds have finished their 10 rounds with a net run rate of -0.14. 

A washout or tie in Dunedin would be enough to see the Sparks go through, along with the Hinds, to the playoff, with net run rate deciding which team gets to host.

Timing their run through the campaign, Brave's victory at Eden Park was set up by a string of middle order partnerships to reach 145/9 in their 20 overs, their highest total this season.

Young Hearts batter Prue Catton fought for the home side in reply with a knock of 53 off 44 balls but didn't get enough support. 

Marama Downes had struck in each of her opening overs at the beginning of the innings, and came back to put herself on an unconverted hat-trick with the wickets of Prue Catton and Molly Penfold in the 18th over.

Marina Lamplough added  a further two scalps in the 19th and while Marama missed her hat-trick opportunity at the start of the last over, the game was over just one ball later as she made it three wickets in four deliveries to finish with a brilliant 5/12 off her 3.2 overs: the first T20 five-wicket bag in Northern Brave's history.

Downe's feat broke retired WHITE FERN Nicola Browne's longstanding record of 4/17 (2011/12 v Otago Sparks) and the Brave had taken five wickets in the space of 10 balls, as the Hearts bow out for 2023/24.

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