The MAGICIANS had a tough afternoon at Hagley Oval not being able to back up their performance from yesterday.

The Hearts were sent into bat after Frankie Mackay won the toss, they notched a solid score of 138 for four.

The young talent of Bella Armstrong (39 off 29) produced her career-best batting performance, which was then followed up by her teammate Holly Huddleston who picked up her best performance for the Hearts in T20s grabbing 3-8.

Armstrong and WHITE FERNS opener Lauren Down shared a pivotal 63-run stand for the third wicket before a brilliant deflection from Frankie Mackay off her own bowling ran out Down on 33 in the 14th.

It stemmed certain damage, but was negated when Mackay herself became a big early wicket for Anna Peterson in the chase. Once the Hearts broke a third-wicket stand of 58 between veteran stars Amy Satterthwaite (32) and Kate Ebrahim (31), they chipped out the rest of the order cheaply to defend their tally by 20 runs.

The Canterbury KINGS headed into the evening fixture looking for their first win under the new floodlights while the Auckland Aces were searching for their first win of the competition.

Restricting the Canterbury Kings to 154/6 gave them a shot, Ross ter Braak claiming the big wicket of BLACKCAP Daryl Mitchell for just 13 at the midway mark, but Jack Boyle (44 off 34) kept the KINGS score ticking over. Leo Carter (42 off 28) played a big part in making sure the KINGS got to their final total.

The Kings hit back by removing two big wickets early, BLACKCAPS white-ball powerhouses Martin Guptill and Glenn Phillips both gone at 20/2 in the third.

Sean Solia (55 off 42) and the flourishing Will O’Donnell (50* off 44) got the Aces back on track, Solia producing his second T20 fifty this season.

But it all turned pear-shaped at the death thanks to the Kings’ tight finish with the ball. The Aces needed 49 off 27 as the gutsy keeper-batsman Ben Horne came in at six, but pinpoint line and length from deathman Will Williams ensured he didn’t lead his team to victory.

31 was still needed from the last two overs and with Horne belting a few boundaries, the Aces had the finish line in sight needing 8 runs from 3 balls.

But the invaluable Mitchell bowled Horne on the penultimate ball of the game to leave the Aces – last year’s league runner-up – empty-handed this season yet again.

The tight 6-run win took the Canterbury Kings to three wins from four games as they bounced back from last night’s loss to the Stags at the same venue.