New Zealand A claimed a narrow four-run victory over Hobart Hurricanes Academy in the Top End T20 Series on Friday evening. The hosts posted 149 before being denied by 153, keeping their winless record intact at six defeats from six matches.
Hobart's recent form has been a string of heartbreak. They lost to the Australian Capital Territory by four runs on Thursday, then fell short by five runs against Adelaide Strikers Academy two days prior. Each result has come down to the wire, with margins often measured in single digits.
For New Zealand A, this result extended their unbeaten momentum to three consecutive matches. Their previous outing saw them fall to Bangladesh High Performance XI by 23 runs, but they had bounced back with a one-run victory over Victoria Cricket Club XI and a two-run win against Adelaide Strikers Academy earlier in the week.
The standings tell a clearer story than the individual results. Hobart sit bottom of the table with zero points from six games, while New Zealand A occupy fourth place with six points from three wins and three losses.
Both teams have now completed their group fixtures. The margin of victory in this encounter was just four runs, continuing a pattern of tight finishes throughout the tournament so far.
