NSW Women’s Premier Cricket: U18s Brewer Shield, Rd 11 Team of the Week
There were plenty of exceptional performances in the final round of the U18s Brewer Shield ahead of the Christmas break. See who made our Team of the Week.
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Nothing was left in the tank during the final round of the Brewer Shield before play resumes in early February.
Despite falling to a heartbreaking defeat, Greater Hunter still fielded some of the top players of the round. The Ghosts headed to the break in style, on the back of one of the most improved players in the comp.
Here’s who made our Team of the Week.
RELATED CONTENT:
U18S BREWER SHIELD ROUND 10 WRAP, TEAM OF THE WEEK
U15s PEDEN SHIELD SEASON PREVIEW
TEAM OF THE WEEK: ROUND 11
1. Sarah Bawcombe (Parramatta)
Influential as always, Sarah kicked off the day with a couple of wickets and closed out her side’s 10-wicket victory with a punishing 53 not out off 31 balls.
2. Eve Burke (Manly Warringah)
With her second Brewer half century of the season, Eve batted Penrith out of the contest at Howell Oval. In addition to 57 off 48, she chipped in with a wicket.
3. Nicola Hudson (Southern Swans)
The Swans’ captain reliable, Nicola charged to 55 off 51 balls in a knock that lifted her season tally to 264 runs at an impressive average of 44.
4. Madison Eddie (Campbelltown Camden)
One of the most improved players in the competition, Madison opened the batting with 49 off 50. It was just the entree, with a head of steam, the speedster then removed three of Uni’s top four batters for ducks.
5. Ebony Winston (Southern Swans)
Ebony’s season continues to get better with every outing. Got the Swans away to a flyer with 47 off 39 and backed it up with 1/7 off three overs in the win over Bankstown.
6. Christine Fernance (Greater Hunter)
On a losing side, Christine did everything but carry Greater Hunter to victory over Sydney. Opening the batting, her 57 off 66 was easily the highest score of the match.
7. Jorja Horan (Gordon)
Has a cupboard stacked with Team of the Week shirts, and added another after plundering 36 off 30 that included two maximums. Strangled the Slayers’ chase with a crucial wicket from two miserly overs.
8. Varada Vinay (UTS North Sydney)
Rock solid as usual. Varda choked Blacktown with four overs of spin, taking 2/8 from four watertight overs. Top scored in a winning chase with an unbeaten 34 off 48.
9. Natalia Egan (Southern Swans)
Clubbed three boundaries in an unbeaten 17 not out off 12 balls. Handed the new ball, Natalia immediately removed the Bankstown captain with the first ball of the innings – bowled four tidy overs for 2/13.
10. Xanthe Hewitt (Greater Hunter)
It wasn’t enough to force a victory, but with 4/24 and the best figures of the round, Xanthe was an obvious selection this week.
11. Abigail Byrne (Gordon)
Played a key role with the ball in Gordon’s win over St George-Sutherland. With the Slayers on the charge, she struck in consecutive balls in a spell that conceded four runs from two overs.
ROUND 11 WRAP
The long handles were unwrapped early as the U18s Brewer Shield returned T20 mode ahead of the Christmas break.
Amid a congested competition table, there was plenty on the line in round 11 at all seven venues.
Here’s how the final weekend unfolded before the action resumes on Sunday, February 2, 2025.
OPENER SETS SCENE
Manly headed west and retained their hold on second spot after lowering the colours of the high flying Panthers at Howell Oval.
After knocking over a strong Slayers outfit a week earlier, Penrith would’ve fancied their chances in another top class battle, but ultimately fell 37 shy of Manly’s 5/111.
Opener Eve Burke set the scene, firing on all cylinders with 57 off 48 in an innings where Penrith leggie Yashika Ramprasad delivered four overs for an impressive 2/12.
After stumbling to 4/17, Penrith failed to get going in reply and could only muster 9/74 in 20 overs.
In a disciplined bowling performance, Matilda Brown (2/2) and captain Saoirse Ford (2/10) finished with the pick of the figures in Manly’s third straight win.
SHORT AND SHARP
Parramatta charged into the festive season quicker than expected following a 10-wicket demolition of Northern District at Merrylands.
Chasing a third straight victory, the home side were rewarded with an early mark after they ran down the Rangers’ 7/78 inside 11 overs.
Sarah Bawcombe was the star, and her 2/5 was a sign of things to come. Opening the batting, she plundered 10 fours and a six in a destructive 53 not out off 31 deliveries.
For ND’s, captain Zara Hepplewhite top scored with 30 off 44 balls.
LETHAL SPELL
Campbelltown Camden’s mid-season revival is in full swing after Madison Eddie ripped the heart out of Sydney University’s top order in a 12-run victory at Raby.
Among the top individual performances of the season, Eddie left her fingerprints all over the Ghosts’ third win in four starts.
Keen to put runs on the board, Eddie (49 off 50) joined run machine Aditi Shidore (28 off 52) at the top of the order and the pair put on 82 for the first wicket before the innings closed on 4/96.
Ever consistent, Ruby Carter (2/13) was the pick off the Uni bowlers, but her effort was quickly overshadowed by Eddie’s lethal opening spell that saw Uni crumble to 5/9.
Taking the new ball, Eddie (3/12, four overs) landed two major blows in the first over of the innings, and added another in the third.
Ruby Dickerson (31* off 38) led the revival, but with 20 needed from the final over it proved a bridge too far.
ON THE REBOUND
The Southern Swans headed north and in a stunning return to form overpowered Bankstown by 56 runs.
Having struggled to consistently fire with the bat in three straight defeats, Ebony Winston (47 off 39) and captain Nicola Hudson (55* off 51) set up the win with a second-wicket stand of 69 runs.
Ava Dragovic (15 off 13) and Natalia Egan (17* off 12) continued the momentum at the death as Southern posted a round-high 3/149.
Returning with the ball, Egan (2/13) sucked the life out of Bankstown’s chase when she crashed through Ava Gaughan’s defence with the first ball of the innings.
Zoe Wood (29* off 50) top scored in the home side’s 5/93.
HUNTER THRILLER
In a must-win clash in Newcastle, Sydney snuck home in a final over thriller against Greater Hunter.
Not for the first time this season, Sydney found themselves needing to hit the winning runs in the final over of a T20 shootout.
And just like against Parramatta in round six, they held their nerve and secured the team’s fifth win when Evie Callaway found the boundary from the second last ball of the match.
Set 115 for victory, Sydney shared the load with Marnie Flett (29 off 22) the best of three to score more than 20. Xanthe Hewitt took 4/24 for Great Hunter.
Although, it was the home side that had the better of the initial exchanges as Mia Gentle (37 off 40) and Christine Fernance (57 off 66) put on an opening stand of 101.
GORDON POWER AHEAD
After outclassing the Slayers by 32-runs, the Gordon juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down.
Early on, it looked anything but a Stags 10th victory when Anika Shah (1/9) dismissed Brewer Shield leading run scorer Diya Sambrane without scoring.
But, as they often do, Gordon worked their way back into the contest and surged to 3/104 when Victoria Marsh (37* off 59) and Beauchamp Oval favourite Jorja Horan (36* off 30) added a quickfire 61 to close out the innings.
Once again, Libby Burgess (29 off 37) fired for the Slayers but without any meaningful support the innings ran out of steam and closed on 9/72.
Sambrane (2/11) and Abigail Byrne (2/4) both picked up a couple of wickets.
BEARS ON TRACK
UTS North Sydney eased to a seven-wicket win over Blacktown with more than five overs to spare at Bon Andrews.
Abigail Aitken (2/8) was the best of three bowlers to take multiple wickets in Blacktown’s 9/75, in a total led by Athira Dilip Kumar’s 31 off 56.
With Varada Vinay (34* of 48) and Janani Vijaya Raghavan (22 off 27) adding 58 for the second wicket, the Bears cruised to their fourth win in the 15th over.
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