The Northern Spirit have some ground to make up in the women's Burger King Super Smash after taking just one win from the opening round of matches.

The competition has kicked off with the first round-robin between the six teams at New Zealand Cricket's high performance centre at Lincoln University from Thursday to Sunday. They join the men's teams in a series of double-headers over December and January to complete the second round.

The Spirit, which has taken four Bay of Plenty players to Lincoln including captain Sam Curtis, Kate Anderson, Nensi Patel and Briana Perry, had a promising start with a six wicket win over the Wellington Blaze after all matches on Thursday's opening day were washed out, but little has gone right since.

A 57 run loss to the Otago Sparks, in which they were dismissed for a modest 68, was followed by increasingly heavy losses to the Auckland Hearts and Canterbury Magicians by eight and nine wickets, leaving them sitting fifth out of the six teams with just the winless Central Hinds below them.

A lack of consistent runs from the top order has been a key issue for the team.

An unbeaten 43 from Irish international Eimear Richardson saw them home in the win over Wellington chasing 110, after Tauranga Girls' College student Briana Perry had produced excellent bowling figures of 2/16 off her four overs, but in Friday's second match against Otago only Felicity Leydon-Davis and Anderson were able to reach double figures in a poor batting display chasing a reachable target of 125.

Something must have clicked for them overnight as they then produced their best batting effort of the series next day against Auckland. Curtis found a welcome return to form reaching 60 not out, and was joined by Caitlin Gurrey (57) in an opening partnership of 88.

They went on to make 158 for four in their 20 overs, and must have backed their chances of picking up a second win, but their resurgent effort was in vain as Auckland found little trouble dealing to the Spirit bowling attack.

Former Bay of Plenty star Anna Peterson for 65 and Tahlia Wilson for 44, both run out, were the only wickets to fall as the Hearts made the target in the 19th over.

A second straight 50 to Gurrey and 34 from Bernadine Bezuidenhout, the former South African international who has now switched to the White Ferns, were the only highlights for the Spirit as their batting form deserted them again and they reached just 104 for five in their 20 overs against the Magicians.

Thanks to an unbeaten 68 from new White Ferns skipper Amy Satterthwaite Canterbury made the target in 15 overs for the loss of just one wicket.

The Spirit resume their Super Smash campaign on Saturday December 22 at Hamilton's Seddon Park in a double-header with the Knights, with both teams taking on Wellington.

Five days later they move to the Bay Oval for a second double-header against Central Districts.

Northern Spirit in the Burger King Super Smash first round:

Thursday October 25 v Central Hinds: match abandoned.

Friday: Wellington Blaze 109/8 in 20 overs (BM Perry 2/16, EAJ Richardson 2/16, L Mulivai 2/17) beaten by Northern Spirit 113/6 in 19.4 overs (Richardson 43 no, BM Bezuidenhout 30)

Otago Sparks 125/7 in 20 overs (Richardson 2/16) defeated Northern Spirit 68 all out in 18.3 overs (KM Anderson 24, FC Leydon-Davis 16)

Saturday: Spirit 158/4 in 20 overs (SRH Curtis 60 not out, CA Gurrey 57) beaten by Auckland Hearts 162/2 in 18.4 overs

Sunday: Spirit 104/5 in 20 overs (Gurrey 51, Bezuidenhout 34) beaten by Canterbury Magicians 105/1 in 15 overs (Richardson 1/24)