NSW Women’s Premier Cricket and U18s Brewer Shield: We rank the best performances in each grade for our teams of the week

The second round of the NSW Women’s Premier Cricket and U18s Brewer Shield has been completed, and NewsLocal ranks the best XI from every grade. SEE WHO MADE THE TEAMS.

After rain washed away Round 1, the U18s Brewer Shield competition finally got underway last weekend with all matches completed across six different venues. Here’s how the play panned out, and the stars who made the NewsLocal best XI.

ROUND 2 WRAP - BREWER SHIELD U18s

Manly Warringah won the toss at home and were forced to work hard by a disciplined UTS North Sydney on route to posting 3/97.

Skipper Caitlin du Preez anchored the innings with a patient 29 from 50 deliveries before Hannah Moss upped the ante with four boundaries on the way to a brisk unbeaten 36.

While Sameeksha Kuncham went wicketless for UTS, she tied up one end with the new ball before Shiloh Julien struck twice in conceding just seven runs from her allotted four overs.

Shiloh Julien of the UTS North Sydney U18s girls. Picture: Contributed

Julien then helped guide UTS to victory with the bat. Finishing 34 not out, she and opener Adelaide Hicks (28) put on 71 for the second wicket.

In the first of what would be two nail biting wins for the Slayers at Merrylands Park, Brydie Fairfax carried her bat with 44 as the away side scrambled to reach 100 courtesy of an Elizabeth McShane five wicket blitz.

Parramatta looked to be coasting when Nikhar Doshi (27) and Amisha Mohanaraj (30) combined for a 52 run second wicket partnership, but despite having wickets in the shed, the home side stumbled and fell two runs shy of the target.

Amisha Mohanaraj of the Parramatta U18s girls. Picture: Contributed

Penrith’s Keira Jobson (53*) also carried the bat as the locals set Gordon a gettable 102 runs at Howell Oval. Diya Sambrane was the pick of the bowlers taking 3/15 from an economical four overs.

Despite a game high 59 from 49 balls from Elizabeth Cambridge, Gordon’s run chase simply ran out of steam when the captain departed just 18 runs short of victory.

Opener Emily Powell and Skye Halmarick both posted half centuries as Sydney pounded Campbelltown Camden’s attack on the way to posting a whopping 3/165 at Birchgrove Oval.

Elizabeth Cambridge of the Gordon U18s girls. Picture: Contributed

Despite a defiant 44 from the bat of Grace Augustine, the Ghosts crashed for 101 all out with Maggie Delaney snaring three scalps.

Opener Aanya Singh (54) clubbed 12 boundaries from only 35 balls to help propel Northern District’s to 6/155 against Illawarra at Asquith Oval. Ella Yates held her own against the onslaught with 3/23.

Lara Robertson took the new ball, stifling Illawarra’s chase with 1/5 off a miserly three overs as the south coast girls meandered to 5/106 off 20 overs.

Caoimhe Bray of the Greater Hunter Coast U18s girls. Picture: Contributed

Greater Hunter Coast had it all their own way at Woongarrah Sports Complex on the Central Coast.

Skipper Emilia Danne (37) was Bankstown’s best in a mediocre 6/72 before Caoimhe Bray made short work of the chase, blasting an unbeaten 48 as her side reached the target off 10 overs.

BREWER SHIELD U18s TEAM OF THE WEEK

1. Keira Jobson, Penrith (53* runs)
2. Emily Powell, Sydney (50 runs)
3. Elizabeth Cambridge, Gordon (59 runs)
4. Skye Halmarick, Sydney (69* runs, 1/10)
5. Caoimhe Bray, Greater Hunter Coast (48* runs, 1/7)
6. Hannah Moss, Manly Warringah (36* runs)
7. Shiloh Julien, UTS North Sydney (34*, 2/7)
8. Diya Sambrane, Gordon (3/15)
9. Claire Small, Campbelltown Camden (2/28)
10. Elizabeth McShane, Parramatta (5/17)
11. Ella Yates, Illawarra (3/23)

NSW WOMEN’S PREMIER CRICKET - SENIOR GRADES

EVERY week NewsLocal will rate our teams of the week from all three senior grades of the NSW Women’s Premier Cricket season.

Here’s who made the cut for round two.

FIRST GRADE

1. Samantha Arnold, Penrith (39 runs, 2/6)
2. Heidi Cheadle, Gordon (63 runs)
3. Chaye Hartwell, Universities (38* runs)
4. Kate McTaggart, Northern District (24* runs, 3/9)
5. Claire Moore, Parramatta (33 runs, 3/10)
6. Katherine Wong, Campbelltown Camden (22 runs)
7. Ciara Gibson, Universities (wicketkeeper, 13 runs, 2 catches, 1 stumping)
8. Kirstie Gordon, Gordon (3/22)
9. Ella Briscoe, St George-Sutherland (12 runs, 3/26)
10. Elise Robertson, Penrith (3/6)
11. Sienna Eve, Northern District (2/4)

SECOND GRADE

1. Frankie Nicklin, Universities (64 runs)
2. Annalee Watson, Campbelltown Camden (61* runs)
3. Olivia Callaghan, Gordon (47 runs)
4. Lily Hreszczuk, Campbelltown Camden (35* runs)
5. Eliza Henry, Manly (35 runs)
6. Daisy Webster, Sydney (28* runs)
7. Zoha Siddiqi, Campbelltown Camden (20 runs, 3/8)
8. Lucy Wilson, Parramatta (2/8)
9. Amisha Mohanaraj, Parramatta (3/9)
10. Gemma Lockhart, Sydney (3/28)
11. Molly Kidd, Manly (3/5)

THIRD GRADE

1. Holly Toms, Sydney (34 runs)
2. Catherine Wilson, St George-Sutherland (32* runs, 1/17)
3. Anushka Dongre, UTS North Sydney (30* runs, 3/10)
4. Bernadette Robson, UTS North Sydney (30* runs, 1/10)
5. Annabelle Gilbert, Manly (30* runs)
6. Ira Patel, Universities (30* runs, 1/10)
7. Leanne Wardale, Campbelltown Camden (33* runs)
8. Anjali D‘Cunha, UTS North Sydney (2/21)
9. Eliza Parslow, St George-Sutherland (2/4)
10. Hetvi Patel, Universities (3/12, 17 runs)
11. Sallie Molyneux, Manly (1/9)

ROUND 2 WRAP - FIRST GRADE

FOLLOWING on from last week’s first round wash out, it was game on across all five Sydney venues as the best women grade cricketers hit the ground in the opening day of T20 competition.

For Penrith’s Samantha Arnold it was a day to remember.

The reliable skipper top scored with the bat at Bankstown Oval, and alongside Bethany Lane shared in a match defining 56-run partnership to help set up Penrith’s 32 run victory.

“We had to really work for our runs out there, we wanted 120 and ended up with 123 which we thought we could defend,” said Arnold.

“Bankstown’s spinners made scoring difficult, so with the lack of pace we concentrated on working the field, that was our game plan.”

With bat in hand, the home side were on the back foot from ball one after Emily Lawler was trapped in front by the left-arm pace of Callee Black.

Arnold then struck with the ball to remove the dangerous Tahlia Dunne, only to promptly remove herself from the attack in favour of spin from both ends.

“We had eight bowlers I could call upon, so I could chop and change to ensure the batters didn’t get used to the same bowlers,” the excited captain said. “I back our spinners, we have fantastic emerging spinners and we wanted the batters to generate the power rather than use the pace of the fast bowlers.”

And the twirling combination of Ananaya Sharma and Lane didn’t falter, strangling the home side’s run chase for a combined 2 for 24 from six overs.

But with the stylish power of Dharmini Chauhan still at the crease, Bankstown weren't without hope.

“Chauhan can definitely hit a long ball. Our plan was to try and starve her of the strike and put pressure on the other batters,” Arnold said.

As the run rate climbed, Chauhan was eventually stumped for a classy 39. Her wicket part of an extraordinary Elise Robertson over where the medium pacer sent three batters packing to put the contest beyond doubt.

Claire Koski of the Melbourne Renegades during the WBBL match against Adelaide Strikers October 19, 2019. (AAP Image/David Mariuz)

Runs were much harder to come by at Merrylands Park where St George-Sutherland won the toss and battled to a modest looking 9/88 against Parramatta. Rhiannon Dick and Cailyn Fountain set up the total with a 60 run second wicket partnership.

Alexandra Mavros and Zoya Thakur proved difficult to score off early before Claire Moore did the damage. She finished with 3 for 10 and almost carried Parra home with the willow, although in the end, her breazy 33 from just 36 balls wasn’t quite enough and the Slayers held on by a solitary run.

Opener Claire Koski ignited the Campbelltown Camden innings, the former WBBL star blazed 29 from 17 balls in the away side’s 8/145. Universities’ captain Isabelle Afaras stemmed the early onslaught with her spin returning an impressive 3/19.

Led by Chaye Hartwell’s 38 not out, Universities only lost three wickets in the chase, but they failed to close with a bang and eventually ended 20 runs shy of the target.

Heidi Cheadle celebrates her 50 against Northern District CC in 2021-22. Picture supplied by Gordon CC

Gordon’s Heidi Cheadle proved the difference at Chatswood Oval. The hard hitting opener’s 63 from 44 balls included nine boundaries and helped her side reach Sydney’s 8/120 win an over to spare.

Over at Manly Oval, tongues were wagging following the miraculous first grade debut of Northern District teenager Kate McTaggart. Still only 15, McTaggart followed on from the miserly opening spells of Sienna Eve and Stella Campbell to destroy Manly’s middle order with 3/9.

Chasing a mediocre 65, Northern District struggled amid a clutter of wickets before McTaggart returned to prop up the innings. Her composed 24 not out, and a 31-run partnership with Campbell eventually steering them to a five wicket victory.