Paul Pink Shield Players of the Finals ahead of grand final day

Who starred in the U16 Paul Pink Shield female cricket semi-finals? Here’s the Team of the Finals after 13 players shone brightest on the big stage during the Taverner’s deciders.

Western Suburbs' pair Abbie Trevethan and Rebecca Storrs will be key to their team’s premiership bid. Storrs recently scored a 100 while Trevethan was among the runs in the semi-final.

It will be an under 16 female western suburbs derby when Wests play Valley in the Paul Pink Shield Taverner’s grand final.

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The best team in the competition so far this season, Western Suburbs, advanced to the decider after amassing an unbeatable 3-155 against Wynnum Manly (8-60) while Valley’s batters (2-95, 10.5 overs) launched a sizzling pursuit of Gold Coast’s 93.

So who were the Players of the Finals?

RESULTS

WESTERN SUBURBS 3-155 defeated WYNNUM MANLY 8-60

VALLEY 2-95 defeated GOLD COAST 5-93

TEAM OF THE FINALS

1. Abbie Trevethan (Wests)

The Queensland U16 vice-captain was in blistering touch against the Sea Eagles, blazing 70 not out from just 59 balls.

Five fours cannoned from her bat which must have felt as wide as a tennis racquet as she unmercifully laid foundations for a winning total of 3-155.

Trevethan is also handy with the ball and always contributes at the bowling crease, just as she did in taking 1-8 from 2.4 overs against Wynnum.

2. Ayla Johnson (Valley)

Johnson took aim at the Gold Coast bowlers and fired with both barrels. It was like she was running down hill as she blazed 57 not out from 40 balls. It was the batting performance of the match - not a bad effort given the opposition featured Lauren Patterson and Alvina Rauf.

Earlier in the season Johnson also scored 98 from 91 balls.

3. Jayani Maharaj (Wynnum Manly)

With 148 runs at 24.66 against the new ball this season, and five wickets, Sea Eagles opener Maharaj has been outstanding for her side.

She again top scored in the semi-final, scoring 18 from 17 balls before Ella Woodward snared her wicket.

4. Alvina Rauf (Gold Coast)

The Dolphins captain and Mudgeeraba junior has had an excellent season with scores of 61 and 40 earlier in the competition, and in the semi-final she top scored with 26 from 37.

5. Lucy Logan (Wests)

Logan (26, 24 balls) matched the runaway Trevethan stroke for stroke across the early stages of the semi-final.

Rather than being intimidated by the rate in which Trevethan was scoring, Logan joined the party to given her side the momentum and set the scene for a 155 total from just 20 overs.

She has backed her skills this season and it has paid off in a big way.

Madhumika Dinesh batting for BEARS. She is an under age Tav’s player who can bowl fast and bat for Western Suburbs.. Picture: Kevin Farmer

6. Madhumika Dinesh (Wests)

This under-age rising fast bowling talent is also a wildcard with the bat. Dinesh caught the Trevethan fever when she went hard at the bowling, scoring 27 from 29 balls.

Dinesh, who is another Queensland U16 representative, also took 1-14 when she bowled right arm fast. She will be a project player for Queensland Cricket given her promise as an allrounder.

7. Chelsea Sonter (Wests)

The Queensland U16 captain was again outstanding behind the stumps. She was not called upon with the bat, but she marshalled her troops expertly and rung the bowling changes when needed.

Ella Woodward impressed for Western Suburbs.

8. Ella Wellwood (Wests)

The young spinner has now taken 5-17 in her last two matches after snaring 2-6 in the semi-final, both big wickets (Jayani Maharaj and Aurelia Burgess). She has been consistent all season, conceeding around four runs an over, and her reward has come in the last fortnight with a flurry of wickets. How will she bowl in the grand final?

9. Georgia Black (Wests)

In a side full of talent, Black wriggled forward out of the shadow of teammates to take the bowling honours against Wynnum.

The rookie took 3-6 from two overs, including the vital wicket of Wynnum’s captain and best batter - Queensland U16 representative Astrid Muniandy. She also lured Lucy Mills into offering a caught and bowled chance.

10. Emma Swanepoel (Valley)

Swanepoel’s 3-11 in the semi-final was the icing on the cake in what has been an outstanding summer. She has taken nine wickets at just 12, including Coast batting master Lauren Patterson who was set when Swanepoel deceived her into a caught and bowled chance.

11. Ophelia Donohue (Valley)

Not far behind Swanepoel this season has been Donohue whose 1-25 in the semi-final complemented an outstanding season which has seen her snare eight wickets at 12.12. Her dismissal of Gold Coast captain Alvina Rauf was crucial given Rauf was established on 26 and looking to cash in during the final few overs.

The batting style of Amelia Kuhn earlier in her career. Picture: Kevin Farmer

12th:Amelia Kuhn (Gold Coast)

Not even Amelia Kuhn could stem the tide when Ayla Johnson got rolling, with the Dolphins ace going wicketless after entering the match with 11 wickets this season. But Kuhn did fire with the bat, scoring a gallant 25 from 53 balls which held up Valley’s march toward victory.

Special mentions

Lucy Mills and Jessica Johnston (Wynnum Manly)

Given the Western Suburbs batters were scoring at around eight runs an over, both Mills and Johnston did very well to scramble to sub-30 totals in their four overs.

Mills took 1-28 from four and Johnston 1-25, also from four overs, excellent returns in the circumstances.

Originally published as Paul Pink Shield Players of the Finals ahead of grand final day