NSW women’s under-19 country cricket championships: wrap, results, photos, standouts from the final day
There were swings in momentum, incredible performances and plenty of nerves as the women’s under-19s country championships were decided in a thrilling final. 50+ PHOTO GALLERY.
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The Central Coast has claimed the women’s under-19s country cricket championships after an excellent bowling and fielding performance helped the side to a thrilling 10-run win over Western in the final at King Park in Raymond Terrace.
After posting a score of 6/85 from its 20 overs, the Central Coast looked to be in trouble midway through Western’s chase before some inspired work with the ball saw the team take an incredible 6/17 to bowl its opponents out for 75 with 3.3 overs to spare.
Co-captain Eliza Thompson was named player of the match after top scoring with 26 and taking two crucial late wickets to finish with figures of 2/3 from two overs.
While not placing a huge emphasis on results heading into the tournament, Central Coast coach Michael Phillips was thrilled with his side’s performances over the course of the week, winning all five of its games to take out the title.
“We came into this because we wanted the girls to have the opportunity to play this kind of cricket at this level, and a win is an advantage,” he said.
“But when they play together as well as they did, it’s fantastic. I often say that if you do the small things right, you enjoy your cricket and the winning usually follows.”
The victory is even more remarkable considering that the Coast side finished last year’s rain-affected campaign in last place after it was hit with a string of injuries.
“To get a whole year of training and preparation has been great. And they’re just a great group. I’m not saying that because they won, but because they are,” said Phillips.
“As Eliza, one of our captains, said ‘I’ve been here and been beaten badly every single game through my younger years, and it’s just really nice now that we’re competitive.’ The great thing is that we keep all of these girls next year, none of them age out.”
After thumping wins in their first three games, Central Coast was forced to dig deep on the final day of competition, showing plenty of nerve to overcome Newcastle by three wickets in a tight T20 contest, before grinding out a nailbiting win over Western in the final.
In what proved to be a low-scoring decider, the Central Coast got off to a difficult start with the bat, falling to 3/19 inside six overs.
However Thompson combined well with fellow co-captain Emily Humphreys (21) and Layla Graham (15 not out) to push the side’s total out to 85.
And while Western also lost early wickets, the team looked on track to chase down the total after working its way to 4/58 after 12 overs.
In desperate need of a break through, the Central Coast brought on strike bowler Tara French, who took the key wicket of Western top order batter Ellen Dolbel for a well-made 23 from 22 balls.
“The game was getting away from us and we needed wickets quick, so we went back to our main strike bowler Tara for two overs downwind,” said Phillips.
“She needed to break through and she did. And I think that was the turning point, that got us back some momentum.”
From here the team ran riot, with the relentless accuracy of its bowlers and razor sharp work in the field seeing the side take the final six wickets in just four overs.
“The fielding, the run-out, the bowling and the catching and everything was excellent,” said Phillips.
“The girls wanted this so badly, they never thought that they weren’t going to win – they just kept going. A lot of that comes from the senior girls coming here every year and losing game after game, so there was a lot of drive and determination.”
And while his players were out there in the middle doing the business, the coach experienced the whole gamut of emotions as he watched the final stages of the match from the sidelines.
“There’s a certain therapy in it,” said Phillips. “Yes, it is stressful but to see the girls own it is so cool. You can only arm them as much as you can and let them go out there and live it. But I think there’s a bit of blood pressure medicine there, for sure,” he joked.
Central Coast 6/85 (Thompson 26, Humphreys 21; Harrison 2/17, Griffith 2/10) def Western 75 (Dolbel 23, Hann 11; Thompson 2/3, French 2/18) by 10 runs
In the other final round fixtures, Newcastle won the third-placed playoff against Riverina by eight runs, North Coastal overcame Central North by 12 runs and Greater Illawarra defeated Southern Districts by seven wickets.
ROUND FOUR
North Coastal vs Southern Districts
A well-rounded batting performance and some terrific individual bowling was enough for North Coastal to set an unreachable target and pick up its first win of the carnival against Southern Districts.
Electing to bat, North Coastal were able to build a strong total of 7/119, with the team’s top batter of the carnival, Annika Vallette, continuing her strong run of form with a team-high 26 before being run out.
Four other teammates managed to pass double digit scores to build up the total.
On the bowling front, Ava Maiden and Keira Hol managed to take two wickets each for Southern Districts, however the lack of regular wickets ultimately allowed the new North Coastal batters to settle in at the crease.
The Southern Districts’ chase couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start, with opener Georgia Lovegrove run out after three balls without scoring.
The most positive period of batting came in the middle order when number five Neve Wallace (16) and number six Zahra Nasser (22) combined well and hit five boundaries between them.
Phoebe Laws was the star performer with the ball for North Coastal, picking up three consecutive wickets for her side, including the dangerous Nasser, as well as Sophia Brown (1) and Ava Maiden (1).
Ultimately, Southern Districts fell 25 runs short of the total and remain winless in the carnival.
North Coastal 7/119 (Vallette 26, Hutchings 19; Ava Maiden 2/21, Keira Hol 2/26) def Southern Districts 8/94 (Nasser 22, Wallace 16; Laws 3/6, Hosking 1/10) by 25 runs
Riverina vs Western
Western have advanced to the grand final after dispatching of Riverina with a terrific bowling performance in their round four clash.
After being sent into bat, it looked as though Riverina were in for a good day, as opening batters Charlie Lamont (26) and Abby Collihole (7) built a solid partnership that lasted until the fifth over.
From here though, the class of the Western bowlers shone through, with wickets falling in quick succession.
Spinner Chelsea Muller was the star for Western, taking four wickets, three of which came in a magical seventh over.
Aside from sixth-drop batter Sophie Panozzo (16 not out), no other batter was able to crack double digits as the team ended its innings on 9/90.
In reply, Western put on a composed performance at the crease.
Openers Callee Black (26) and Ella Tilburg (14) put on 26 for the opening stand, before Black combined with Ellen Dolbel (21) to put on a 50-run stand.
And while the pair were dismissed late in the chase, Maddison Spence (five not out) and Alexandria Morley (four not out) finished the job by chasing down the target in just the 14th over.
The commanding win leaves Western undefeated after four rounds and sends them into the grand final against Central Coast.
Western 3/94 (Black 26, Dolbel 21; Panozzo 1/9, Waring 0/5) def Riverina 9/90 (Lamont 26, Panozzo 16; Muller 4/11, Griffith 2/14) by seven wickets
Greater Illawarra vs Central North
Another standout individual batting performance from a 14-year-old superstar helped Central North to a massive total as the team defeated Greater Illawarra to pick up its second win of the tournament.
Prodigious first drop batter Caoimhe Bray once again dominated the innings, hitting four sixes and five boundaries as she scored an incredible 67 from just 57 deliveries to help her side to 6/142 from its 20 overs.
It was the third-highest individual score to date in the carnival, behind Newcastle star Kate McTaggart’s 80 and Bray’s own round one score of 77 against Newcastle.
Bray was well supported at the top of the order by Vanessa Simpson, who scored 25 from 23, while Greater Illawarra’s Jessica Bramble picked up two wickets.
With a mammoth run chase ahead of the team, the South Coast side struggled to build partnership as the wickets fell regularly.
Lara Robertson was the standout bowler, picking up three wickets, including two in the 19th over, as Greater Illawarra finished on 9/71.
Central Northern 6/142 (Bray 67, Simpson 25; Bramble 2/26, Yates 1/20) def Greater Illawarra 9/71 (Winston 13, Pracy 9; Robertson 3/16, Krake 2/7) by 71 runs
Newcastle vs Central Coast
In a battle between the two undefeated local rivals, it was the Central Coast who emerged narrow winners over Newcastle in a nailbiting contest to book a grand final ticket.
Electing to bat first, Newcastle weren’t as imposing off the bat as they have been so far this tournament, with first drop batter Kate McTaggart (29) the steadiest performer at the crease by some margin.
Ava Drury continued her excellent tournament by taking 4/7 from three overs.
Captain Emily Humphreys also picked up a couple of wickets in a stellar bowling display from Central Coast that really limited the attacking flair of Newcastle, who only managed to set a total of 60.
Despite her confidence sky-high after the bowling display, Drury wasn’t able to maintain her form with the bat, caught out for a duck after just three balls as her team slumped to 3/16 and then 5/41 on the back of a strong showing from the Newcastle bowlers.
Jane Cruckshank was the standout bowler for the home side, taking an impressive 2/7 from four overs.
In what was a difficult game with the bat, Molly Kidd (13) and Humphreys (11) top scored for the Central Coast, while a crucial 10 from Sarah Abel helped her side get over the line with three wickets in hand and two overs remaining to book a spot in the grand final.
Central Coast 7/61 (Kidd 13, Humphreys 11; Cruckshank 2/7, Kedwell 1/14) def Newcastle 8/60 (McTaggart 29, Clune 11; Drury 4/7, Humphreys 2/8) by three wickets
ROUND THREE
Central Coast v Greater Illawarra
The Central Coast will enter the final day of the country championships in top spot after the side recorded its third heavy victory in a row with a 52-run win over Greater Illawarra in their T20 clash.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the high-flying Coast side found itself in unfamiliar territory early on when both of its in-form opening batters, Ava Drury and Tara French, were dismissed within the first two overs to leave the side at 2/4.
But in a sign of the team’s depth, Eliza Thompson combined with Molly Kidd (13) to put on a 37-run stand for the third wicket.
While the team lost another couple of wickets to be sitting at 4/44, the co-captain worked well with AlexBobbi Smith (9) and Sarah Abel (12) in the middle order to finish unbeaten on 46 and set a healthy total of 110 to chase.
For Greater Illawarra, off-spinner Aaliyah Humphreys continued her strong form by taking 2/14 from four overs, while Molly Lynch (2/12) and Cadence Waters (2/18) also bagged wickets.
In reply, the South Coast side got off to a disastrous start as it sought its first win of the tournament, slumping to 3/6 from 4.4 overs as the Central Coast were relentless with their accuracy.
In a sign of the consistency, opening bowler Molly Kidd finished with the remarkable figures of 1/2 from three overs.
And while opener Keisha Baldwin (23) and Ebony Winston (12 not out) showed some resistance, Greater Illawarra never looked like chasing down the total, with three late wickets to Layla Graham ensuring that the side finished well short of the total on 7/58 after its 20 overs.
The victory moved the Central Coast into top spot on averages, while Greater Illawarra will return in round four in search of its first victory of the tournament.
Central Coast 6/110 (Thompson 46*, Kidd 13; Lynch 2/12, Humphreys 2/14) def Greater Illawarra 7/58 (Baldwin 23, Winston 12*; Graham 3/9, Kidd 1/2) by 52 runs
Newcastle v Southern Districts
Newcastle has set up a mouth-watering round four clash with local rivals the Central Coast to see which side will make the finals after overcoming Southern Districts to maintain its perfect record in the competition so far.
Kate McTaggart, Newcastle’s hero from its round one win, was once again the star for her side, scoring an unbeaten 49 in the seven-wicket win.
After having struggled with the bat so far in the tournament, Southern Districts got off to its most positive start in the championships as Georgia Lovegrove and Natalia Egan put on 27 for the first wicket before the latter was dismissed for 12.
Despite not breaking through until the ninth over, Newcastle’s accurate bowling attack managed to keep a lid on the run rate, with the efforts of Keira Hol (10 not out) and Caitlin Appleyard (12 not out) only dragging the team to 4/82 from its 20 overs.
Newcastle got off to a tricky start, falling to 2/14 early on, before NSW Country rep star McTaggart was joined at the crease by Madison Kedwell to take the game away from the tournament newcomers.
McTaggart, fresh from scoring 80 in round one, hit five boundaries in an unbeaten 49 from 46 balls, while Kedwell peeled off 20 to help the side to a comfortable seven-wicket victory with 4.5 overs to spare to keep pace at the top with big guns Central Coast and Western.
Newcastle 3/86 (McTaggart 49*, Kedwell 20; Wallace 2/14) def Southern Districts 4/82 (Lovegrove 19, Appleyard 13*; Dare 1/11, Old 1/11) by seven wickets
Central North v Riverina
Central North has notched up its first victory of the tournament after two of the team’s young guns combined in an excellent run chase to defeat Riverina by seven wickets.
Caoimhe Bray and Sophie Parsons showed maturity and experience beyond their years to overcome a tough start and get the side home over their previously undefeated opponents.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Riverina got off to a steady start, with Charlie Lamont (12) and Alice Caldow (15) both making starts.
However the loss of regular wickets slowed the team’s progress somewhat, and it was up to some middle-order hitting from Delaney Laffy (22) and Alicia Donohue (18 not out) to get the team over the ton as it finished its 20 overs on 5/102.
After being more than competitive in its opening two games, Central North got off to a tough start as it sought to open its account at the tournament, losing opener Jorja Brown in the first over and Georgie Leonard shortly afterwards to be sitting at 2/24.
However the team’s two NSW Country reps more than showed their worth with an excellent partnership to turn the game.
Bray, who hit an excellent 77 in the team’s opening game against Newcastle, scored 34 from 44 deliveries while Parsons rattled off 31 not out from 39 balls to get the side home with two and half overs to spare and seven wickets in the shed.
Central North 3/103 (Bray 34, Parsons 31*; Caldow 2/5, Laffy 1/8) def Riverina 5/102 (Laffy 22, Donohue 18*; Davidson 1/6, Leonard 1/10) by seven wickets
North Coastal vs Western
Some steady hitting from a couple of reliable batters was enough for Western to get the better of North Coastal and remain undefeated in this year’s competition.
Electing to bat first, North Coastal struggled to build meaningful partnerships at the top of the order, with a steady follow of wickets halting the flow of runs.
In a sign of how tough it was, Lara McMillan top scored with 12 while Annike Vallette was the only other player to reach double figures with 10.
Western used nine different bowlers throughout the innings, with Eloise Fairley proving to be the most productive, picking up three wickets, including back-to-back dismissals in the 14th over.
In the end, North Coastal finished its 20 overs seven down with 72 runs on the board.
Despite being faced with a fairly achievable target, Western got off to a difficult start with the bat as coach Steve Muller shifted up the team’s batting order.
Openers Chelsea Muller (8) and Alexandria Morley (3) were dismissed early while North Coastal bowler Stephanie Scouller picked up two wickets in the 8th over to leave the Western reeling at 5/31. Things got worse in the 11th, when another double-wicket over, this time to Emily Hosking, saw the team slump to 7/45.
However, the arrival of regular openers Callee Black (16 not out) and captain Ella Tilburg (12 not out) to the crease at eight and nine steadied the ship for Western and allowed them to cruise to victory, with Tilburg sealing the win with a boundary in the 15th over.
The victory was Western’ third straight in the tournament, ensuring that they remain at the top with Central Coast and Newcastle, while North Coastal are still looking for their first win of the tournament.
Western 7/75 (Black 16*, Tilburg 12*; Hosking 2/4, Scouller 2/12) def North Coastal 7/72 (McMillan 12, Vallette 10; Fairley 3/12, Bennett 2/15) by three wickets
ROUND TWO
Newcastle v Greater Illawarra
Newcastle has continued its strong start to the tournament after an incredible team double hat-trick and some composed middle-order batting helped the side to a five-wicket victory over Greater Illawarra in a low-scoring contest.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the South Coast side got off to a difficult start by losing two early wickets to be 2/25 after 6.1 overs.
And while Cadence Waters (20) and Amelia Valdez (12) stabilised the innings, Newcastle’s accurate bowling ensured that the run rate remained below four an over.
Good work with the ball from Madison Kedwell (2/9 from three overs) and Cosette Thomas (1/8 from three) restricted Greater Illawarra to 5/71 heading into the final over of the innings, when Newcastle quick Felicity Wharton produced one of the most incredible overs in country championship history to cap off an excellent performance from her side.
After having her first delivery of the over clipped away for two, Wharton caught Ella Yates in front leg before wicket, before Ebony Winston lofted one to Madison Kedwell at cover the very next ball to be dismissed for a golden duck.
With Wharton charging in on a hat-trick, Nicola Hudson drove the ball on the ground back at the bowler, only for the ball to deflect off Wharton, go on to hit the stumps and run out Tahlia Pracy at the non-striker’s end in what was a bizarre dismissal to cap off the team hat-trick.
If that wasn’t remarkable enough, Hudson skied the next ball down the throat of Jasmine Old at mid-off as Newcastle took a remarkable four wickets in four balls.
Molly Lynch managed to see off the final ball to put an end to an incredible over and see greater Illawarra finish on 9/73 after 20 overs, with Wharton finishing with the incredible figures of 4/7 from three overs.
In reply, Newcastle found itself in a similar situation to its opponents, falling to 2/20 from 6.1 overs after Wharton and danger player Kate McTaggart were dismissed cheaply.
While opener Sophie Clune made an important 15, her dismissal left Newcastle in big trouble at 4/29 at the halfway mark of the innings.
Thankfully for Newcastle, Molly Dare (23) and Thomas (13 not out) came together at the crease and put on a 43-run partnership to get the side within one run of Greater Illawarra’s total, with Thomas hitting the winning runs with one over to spare.
Newcastle 5/74 (Dare 23, Clune 15; Yates 1/3, Winston 1/9) def Greater Illawarra 9/73 (Waters 20, Valdez 12; Wharton 4/7, Kedwell 2/9) by five wickets
Western v Central North
Western has established itself as one of the teams to beat in the tournament after a recording a three-wicket victory over Central North to go two from two in the country championships.
An excellent unbeaten innings from Ellen Dolbel saw the team home after Central North posted a competitive total.
After sending Central North into bat, Western got off to a great start by dismissing opener Jorja Brown and star batter Caoimhe Bray – who scored 77 against Newcastle in round one – cheaply to leave the side at 2/24 after 6.2 overs.
However this brought Annalisa Collins (36) and Sophie Parsons (43) to the crease, with the pair putting on an excellent 72-run stand at a healthy run rate to help the side finish with a strong total of 4/105 from it 20 overs.
Karly Woods was the best of the Western bowlers, finishing with figures of 1/12 from three overs.
In response, Western overcome the early loss of skipper Ella Tilburg for eight to motor along to 1/50 after just seven overs thanks to some strong counterattacking batting from Dolbel and Callee Black.
And while Black’s dismissal for 26 triggered somewhat of a mini collapse in the middle order, Dolbel batted with her partners to score an excellent 30 not out from 24 balls to guide Western home with three wickets in hand and 4.1 overs to spare.
The win was Western’s second straight to kick off the tournament, while Central North were once again competitive in what was the side’s second loss in the country championships.
Western 7/106 (Dolbel 30*, Black 26; Krake 2/7, Andrews 2/8) def Central North 4/105 (Parsons 43, Collins 36; Woods 1/12, Harrison 1/18) by three wickets
Southern Districts vs Central Coast
It was one-way traffic as the Central Coast recorded back-to-back victories with a dominant win over Southern Districts.
Some excellent aggressive batting saw the Coast post a huge score of 140, before a clinical bowling effort secured the thumping 95-run win.
She combined well with Drury and Emily Humphreys (18) to hit an unbeaten 37 from as many balls to take the side to 4/140 from its 20 overs in what was far and away the highest score of the round.
After once again batting first, Central Coast openers Ava Drury (25) and Tara French, who scored 36 from just 28 balls, continued their strong form at the top of the order, combining for an opening stand of 57 at better than a run a ball to set a solid platform for their team.
And while the team lost co-captain Eliza Thompson for just six, Molly Kidd came in at second drop and lifted the tempo once again.
With a monster chase ahead of them, Southern Districts simply weren’t able to impose themselves with the bat, with Madison Malcolm posting the highest score with just 10 runs.
Scarlett Sheridan and Kiarra Laugwitz were the pick of the bowlers for the Central Coast with three wickets each, with Laugwitz finishing the game on a hat-trick after taking two wickets in consecutive balls to conclude the 17th over.
The spinner was denied the chance of a hat-trick when Southern Districts’ number 11 Matilda Holgate retired hurt in the following over, which saw the team’s innings finish on 9/45.
Central Coast 4/140 (Kidd 37, French 36; Wallace 1/13, Holgate 1/13) def Southern Districts 9/45 (Malcolm 10, Appleyard 8; Laugwitz 3/5, Sheridan 3/8) by 95 runs
North Coastal vs Riverina
Riverina has picked up its second win from as many games after some clutch bowling at the death saw the team overcome North Coastal by just three runs in a pulsating clash that went down to the final over.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Riverina were rocked early when North Coastal bowler Stephanie Scouller ripped through the top order to leave the team reeling at 3/11.
Skipper Charlie Lamont (22) continued her good form by combining with Delaney Laffy (15) to steady the ship, before some late hitting from Charlotte Waring, who scored an unbeaten 30 from 42 balls, and Jaidyn-Bree Tschirpig (15 not out from 17 balls) ensured the team posted a defendable target of 7/100 from its 20 overs.
In response, North Coastal got off to a disastrous start, losing gun openers Ava Ryan and Samira Mitchell early as the team slumped to 4/30 from 7.5 overs.
In desperate need of a partnership, number three Annika Vallette combined with Jaimee-Lee Woolfe (14) to put on 45 for the fifth wicket, before a little cameo from Lane Jordan, who scored nine from 16 balls, put North Coastal on track to chase down the total.
With the north coast side needing just eight runs to win from the last two overs and with five wickets in hand, Riverina bowlers Alice Caldow and Alicia Donohue put on a clinic of how to bowl at the death, with Caldow bowling a double-wicket maiden in the 19th and Donohue restricting her opponents to just four runs in the final over.
Needing four runs to tie the game from the last ball, Vallette’s excellent innings was eventually brought to an end on 40 after she was run out, leaving the side agonisingly short of completing the run chase.
Riverina 7/100 (Waring 30, Lamont 22; Scouller 3/17, Hutchings 1/6) def North Coastal 8/97 (Vallette 40, Waring 14; Caldow 3/13, Panozzo 1/3) by three runs
ROUND ONE
The under-19s women’s country championships kicked off in style on Tuesday, with a string of excellent individual performances and a nailbiting finish capping off a brilliant first day’s action in the Hunter.
There were three heavy victories and one final-over thriller as some stars of the future further enhanced their reputations with brilliant displays in the 40-over matches.
Catch up with a wrap of the action below.
Riverina v Southern Districts
Riverina kicked off its country championship campaign in style with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Southern Districts at A & D Lawrence Reserve at Thornton.
Excellent bowling performances from Mackenzie Powell (3/9), Charlotte Waring (2/12) and Sophie Panozzo (2/5) saw Riverina bowl their opponents out for 105 in 25.2 overs, with captain Claire Lamont then leading the chase with an unbeaten 37 to see the side pass the total three down inside 16 overs.
In what was the zone’s first appearance at the revamped country champs, Southern Districts got off to a tough start after being sent into bat, losing three early wickets for just 27 as Panozzo claimed two wickets in her first over.
Coming in at third drop, Southern Districts captain Neve Wallace helped to steady the ship, however she kept losing batting partners as Riverina consistently took wickets to halt the momentum.
While she showed plenty of resistance, Wallace was eventually dismissed for a stubborn 23 from 57 balls for the ninth wicket, with the innings ending two balls later with the score on 105.
In reply, Riverina got off to a shaky start of its own, losing opener Abby Collihole in just the second over for two runs.
However victory never seriously looked in doubt, with Riverina skipper Lamont combining well with Alice Caldow (20) and Delaney Laffy (22 not out) to ensure the side chased down the runs after just 15.2 overs to cap off an excellent start to the tournament.
Riverina 3/106 (Lamont 37*, Laffy 22*, Caldow 20; Maiden 1/20) def Southern Districts 105 (Wallace 23, Appleyard 9; Powell 3/9, Panozzo 2/5, Waring 2/12)
Western v Greater Illawarra
A huge opening partnership and an excellent team bowling performance has secured a massive 143-run win for Western over Greater Illawarra in the teams’ opening clash at King Park in Raymond Terrace.
After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, Western openers Ella Tilburg (58) and Maddison Spence (50) laid the platform for victory with a brilliant 126-run opening stand that saw the pair take on the Greater Illawarra attack in a dominant performance.
While Western were cruising, Greater Illawarra off-spinner Aaliyah Humphreys (4/32) turned the match on its head with an inspired spell, picking up four quick wickets to trigger a mini collapse that saw the team lose 5-25 to be at 5/151 after 30 overs.
Ellen Dolbel (16) and Alexandria Morley (12) helped steady the ship, while some late-order hitting from Amy Corbett (10 not out) and Eloise Fairley (8 not out) took the team to 8/208 from its 40 overs.
The chase started in just about the worst possible fashion for Greater Illawarra, who lost their hero with the ball – Humphreys – for a duck with just the fourth delivery of the innings.
And while Tahlia Pracy (14) and Keisha Baldwin (13) helped get the run chase back on track, Western’s relentless team effort with both the ball and in the field proved too strong, with no other players making double figures as the South Coast side was bowled out for just 65 after 29.3 overs.
Morley picked up 2/0 from her solitary over, while Fairley (1/8), Lillian Harrison (1/8), Montana Griffith (1/9) and Nikera Hann (1/13) all took wickets, with the team proving itself to be incredibly sharp in the field with three run-outs in the victory.
And while they might not have taken any wickets, Chelsea Muller (0/8 from 6 overs), Karly Woods (0/6 from 4) and Amy Corbett (0/12 from 4) were all excellent with economical spells.
Western 8/208 (Tilburg 58, Spence 50; Humphreys 4/32, Martin 2/6) def Greater Illawarra 65 (Pracy 13, Baldwin 13; Morley 2/0, Harrison 1/8) by 143 runs
Central Coast v North Coastal
A strong top-order batting platform and an early claim for the individual performance of the tournament has helped the Central Coast to a thumping 134-run victory over North Coastal at Maitland Park.
All-rounder Ava Drury was the hero for the Coast, hitting an excellent 57 with the bat and taking 4/8 with the ball as the team made a serious statement to kick off the tournament.
Drury got going from the outset after her team was sent into bat, combining well with fellow opener Tara French (17) to put on 61 for the first wicket.
She was then joined by co-captain Eliza Thompson at the crease, with the pair stretching the score out to 105 before Drury was eventually dismissed by Lane Jordan for an excellent 57 from 93 deliveries.
And while an impressive bowling performances from Emily Sutherland (3/26) and three run-outs helped to trigger a slight middle-order collapse, Thompson (30) combined well with her co-captain Emily Humphreys (18) and Jessica Dowling (14 not out) to see the side finish its 40 overs on 8/189.
After posting a strong total, the Central Coast doubled down on its advantage, picking up the dangerous opener Ava Ryan for just seven early in North Coastal’s innings.
Fellow representative opener Samira Mitchell produced a counterpunch, scoring a quick-fire 25 from 29 balls to get her side back on track, however her dismissal triggered an almighty collapse that saw the side go from 2-38 to bowled out for just 55 inside 21.
Not content with her half-century with the bat, Drury ran riot for the Central Coast, picking up 4/8 from 6 overs and making a run-out as her side capped off a huge opening win.
She was ably supported by Dowling (2/19), Thompson (1/3) and French (1/12) in what was a clinical performance.
Central Coast 8/189 (Drury 57, Thompson 30; Sutherland 3/26, Jordan 1/14) def North Coastal 55 (Mitchell 25; Drury 4/8, Dowling 2/19) by 134 runs
Newcastle v Central North
A top-order shootout and some clutch late hitting has seen Newcastle win a thrilling round one clash over Central North in what was a final over classic.
NSW Country representative Kate McTaggart was the star for the victors, scoring an excellent 80 from 94 balls to set up the run chase, before a brilliant 40 not out from 38 deliveries from Laura Knipe got the team home with just four wickets and three deliveries to spare.
While Newcastle may have finished with the win, Central North gave the side an almighty scare after winning the toss and electing to bat.
Coming in at number three, 14-year-old prodigy Caoimhe Bray took the game by the horns, racking up eight boundaries in a brilliant knock of 77 from 83 balls.
Ably supported by Jorja Brown (16) at the top of the order and some crucial late hitting from Monique Krake (22) and Georgia Davidson (21), Bray’s excellent knock saw Central North post a healthy total of 9/195 from its 40 overs.
Madison Kedwell was the pick of the Newcastle bowlers, finishing with figures of 2/19 from six overs, with Evie West (2/25 from five), Cosette Thomas (1/19 from five) and Sophie Clune (1/36 from eight) all making strong contributions.
In reply, Newcastle got off to a patient start as openers Clune and Felicity Wharton sought to see off the new ball.
However Wharton’s dismissal with the score on 26 brought McTaggart to the crease, with the rep player showing her class with a classy knock that saw her hit 11 boundaries and almost single-handedly drag her team into a matchwinning position.
While Newcastle looked on track to chase down the big total with McTaggart at the crease, her dismissal for 80 in the 34th over left the side at 6/136, needing 30 runs from the final 6.1 overs.
The team needed someone to take control of the run chase and Knipe did exactly that, peeling off five boundaries and keeping the run rate ticking over as she worked with Charlotte Kelly to get close to the total.
In a sign of just how tight the game was, Newcastle needed four from the last over to win. Two singles from the first two balls got the team within touching distance, before a four from Knipe secured the victory for her side in what was the best game of the opening day.
Newcastle 6/198 (McTaggart 80, Knipe 40*; Andrews 2/34, Davidson 1/39) def Central North 9/195 (Bray 77, Krake 22, Davidson 21; Kedwell 2/19, West 2/25) by four wickets
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