NSW Women’s Premier Cricket: U18s Brewer Shield, Rd 12 Team of the Week
A five-wicket haul topped numerous dazzling efforts with the ball, while several guns carried their team with the bat. Round 12 Brewer Shield Team of the Week.
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Runs were difficult to come by in the majority of matches in round 12 of the U18s Brewer Shield.
Southern Swans opener Katie Martin was one to defy the odds, while Matilda Brown turned on the heat with the ball for Manly.
Round 12 Team of the Week.
RELATED CONTENT:
U18S BREWER SHIELD ROUND 11 WRAP, TEAM OF THE WEEK
U18S BREWER SHIELD SEASON PREVIEW
TEAM OF THE WEEK: ROUND 12
1. Katie Martin (Southern Swans)
The patient opener bunkered down when the Swans need it most, carrying her side to within sight of victory at Beauchamp Oval. Asked by the coach to face at least 100 deliveries, the right-hander added interest, reaching 46 off 125.
2. Aditi Shidore (Campbelltown Camden)
The Blues state rep rarely misses out for the Ghosts, and her classy 74 at North Sydney almost saw her side pull off a miraculous chase.
3. Athira Dilip Kumar (Blacktown)
The only player to master a tricky wicket at Birchgrove, Athira scored the bulk of her side’s 72, peeling off a stunning 55 runs - 4o better than the next best on a day where 18 wickets fell for 145.
4. Nicola Hudson (Southern Swans)
The NSW Country rep showed Gordon her all-round class. Choked the scoring with 0/29 from 10 overs and returned with the bat, defying a slow outfield with a confident 56 off 65.
5. Samantha Williams (UTS North Sydney)
Difficult to contain when in full flight, Samantha returned to her cavalier best against Campbelltown Camden. Struck nine boundaries in her 53 off 62, and claimed 1/22 with the ball.
6. Sienna Knight (Sydney University)
Set up Uni’s important victory over Manly with a defiant 49 off 89 balls and made important contributions in two critical partnerships.
7. Taylor McMahon (St George Sutherland)
In a comfortable win over Northern District, the Slayers all-rounder chipped in with 2/10 and made short work of the chase with 26 off 30 balls.
8. Matilda Brown (Manly Warringah)
Removed three of Uni’s top five batters before closing out the innings with a season-best return of 5/21 from nine overs.
9. Evie West (Greater Hunter)
The bustling right-armer put Greater Hunter on the front foot when she knocked over Sharon Julien’s off stump in the fourth over. Added another shortly after and pocketed a third in an important eight-wicket win.
10. Hamnah Afzal ((Sydney University)
The right-arm medium pacer delivered a massive contribution in Uni’s victory. Took 4/22 off nine overs, and ripped the heart out of Manly’s middle order.
11. Lana Sredojevic (UTS North Sydney)
Lana continues to improve as the season unfolds. Snared 3/23 with her medium pace and turned the contest when she held a sharp return catch off Aditi Shidore.
ROUND 12 WRAP
With the holiday break now in the rearview mirror, the players returned as the U18s Brewer Shield hit the straight in the run towards the finals.
In a round dominated by the bowlers, there were several crucial performances with the bat as several teams made their move a month shy of the post-season.
Round 12 wrap from all seven venues.
SWANS’ BIG SCALP
They set the pace in the early rounds, now after a mid-season slump the Southern Swans have turned giant killers, knocking over Gordon at Beauchamp Oval.
In a low scoring three-wicket win, skipper Nicola Hudson (56 off 65 balls) and opener Katie Martin (46 off 125) added 92 for the second wicket before the Swans scrambled to the finish line, reaching the 146-run victory target despite the loss of four late wickets.
Played on a slow outfield, Emilia Billinghurst’s 25 was the best in Gordon’s 9/145. Most of the top-seven made starts, but without anyone going on with the job the ladder leaders fell to their second loss of the season.
With six individual wicket-takers, the Swans bowlers all chipped in. Natalia Egan (1/15, 10 overs) and Ebony Winston (2/31, 10 overs) kicked off the proceedings, while Farrah Cody (2/11, five overs) and Ava Dragovic (2/22, five overs) were rewarded in the middle overs.
Outstanding with the bat, Hudson (0/29) was unlucky not to finish with a wicket from her 10 tidy overs of off-spin. Gordon spinner Eveline O’Farrell (3/18, 7.3 overs) picked the eyes out of the visitors’ top order, before Jorja Horan (3/8, seven overs) took three wickets in a sizzling second spell.
“We were looking pretty good until we lost those late wickets, Gordon did well to fight back,” said Swans co-coach Aaron Hudson.
“Ebony and Nat bowled really well early and kept the run rate down. Any we just seemed to break partnerships when we needed to.”
After Gordon struggled to make inroads with the bat, Hudson was proud his top order carried out their plan to perfection.
“After an early wicket the girls just dug in and did what they had to do,” he said.
“The plan was for someone in the top-four to try and face 100 balls. And Katie did that today, while Nicola kept the score ticking over.”
Now in fifth spot, the Swans are refreshed and excited by what lies ahead.
“It’s always good to knock off the top sides. We were hunted for a while during the early rounds so it’s good to be on the other side,” he said.
“But it’s a pretty open comp which is great to see. It makes for an interesting run towards the finals.
“Following the last game before the break, we wanted to make sure the girls were well rested before coming back. Some had state and national carnivals, but we made an effort to manage their workloads.”
BEARS ALIVE
UTS North Sydney has kept its finals hopes alive after the Bears held off a determined Campbelltown Camden by 12 runs in a thriller at Bon Andrews.
In reply to North Sydney’s 7/198, Aditi Shidore guided the Ghosts most of the way with a commanding 74 off 84 balls that included 10 boundaries. But when the state rep departed at 4/137, the chase lost momentum.
Izabella Boyd (31 off 60) picked up the slack and almost became the hero until she was the ninth to fall just 15 shy of victory.
With three big wickets, Lana Sredojevic (3/23, six overs) turned the contest the home side’s way after holding onto a return catch from Shidore.
Captain Samantha Williams top scored with 53 off 62 for Norths, while Zahra Nasser (3/25, 10 overs) and Trushna Hadawle (2/26, nine overs) finished with the pick of the figures for the Ghosts.
BIG BOILOVER
On their day Sydney University are among the most feared in the competition, and so it proved on Sunday when they got the better of Manly by 45 runs.
With plenty riding on the result, Manly slipped from second to fourth, while Uni’s fifth victory saw them climb to eighth spot.
Opting to bat, Uni posted 9/164. Opener Tanisha Shanmuganathan (32 off 87) and Sienna Knight (49 off 89) set up the innings with a third-wicket stand of 57 before Catherine Puiu scored a brisk 29 off 38 balls.
Having already taken a hat-trick earlier in the season, Manly’s Matilda Brown delivered her best return, taking 5/21 from nine overs. Unfortunately for the home side their fortunes quickly nosedived when they were bowled out for 119 inside 39 overs.
Among five Uni wicket-takers, Hamnah Afzal was the pick with 4/22 from nine overs.
LOW SCORES
Runs were hard to come by at the remaining four venues with each side batting first humbled for less than 100 runs.
With an eight-wicket victory, Greater Hunter made it three wins in four starts after they rolled Parramatta for 83. Evie West (3/14) and Felicity Wharton (4/13) combined for seven wickets, while with the bat, opener Mia Gentle finished the match unbeaten on 43 from 98 balls to leave Hunter one-point behind Parra in seventh spot.
It was a near thing at Birchgrove Oval, but Sydney snuck home after losing eight wickets in reply to Blacktown’s 72 all out.
In a strange Blacktown card, Athira Dilip Kumar scored 76 per cent of the total with a stand-alone 55. With the pressure on in reply, Saskia Taylor once again held firm for Sydney, seeing her side to victory with a defiant 11 not out from 27 balls.
Northern District made a solid start at Storey Park against St George-Sutherland, before collapsing for 80 all out. Trisha Yadav (29 off 50) and Ella Davidson (23 off 69) added 42 for the second wicket, while Beth Millican took 4/21 for the Slayers. In the visitors’ 3/81, Taylor McMahon top scored with 26.
Penrith continued the string of low scores when they bowled Bankstown out for 96 in their eight-wicket win at Cook Park. Grace Rowan (2/8), Manorath Gill (2/9) and Karly Woods (2/11) were the chief destroyers with the ball before Aleena Syed scored a game-high 36 off 46 balls.
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