Essendon Maribrynong Park trounces Melbourne to win Premier Cricket title
A dominant performance with bat and ball delivered Essendon Maribyrnong Park an eighth Victorian Premier Cricket premiership.
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A dominant performance with bat and ball has put Essendon Maribyrnong Park back on top of the Victorian Premier Cricket mountain.
The Bombers trounced reigning premier Melbourne by 153 runs at the Junction Oval on Sunday to claim their eighth Women’s one-day premiership.
Having been sent in, EMP captain Makinley Blows set the win up a superb 79 and was duly awarded the Betty Wilson Medal has player of the final.
Returning from state duties, Chloe Rafferty and Sam Bates then ripped through the Demons’ batting order.
Chasing 6-249, Melbourne crumbled to 6-23 and were all out 96 as Rafferty finished with 5-30, Bates 2-13 and Katia Jomini 2-18.
Blows was stunned at her team’s performance on the big stage while playing down her matchwinning contribution.
“It’s nice to save probably one of your best performances for the year for the last dance,” she said.
“I knew runs on the board is always nice in a grand final so I definitely wasn’t unhappy (with being sent in).
“I was just trying to contribute to the team and try to get the biggest score as we could on the board.
“I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t go on with it, I felt like we left a few out there but we had enough to get the win, which was good.”
Blows and vice-captain Alyssa Humphries (33) got Essendon Maribyrnong Park off to a strong start, reaching 0-97 before Humphries fell.
Emily Smith (47), Sam Bates (37) and Tia Davidge (27) then ensured the runs continued to flow.
Erika Quinn was Melbourne’s best with the ball, taking 3-34.
Facing a daunting chase, the Demons’ hopes soon faded as a series of rash shots saw wickets tumble.
Bates and Rafferty were on opposite sides in the WNCL, representing Victoria and ACT respectively this season, but teamed up to devastating effect in red and black.
The pair removed Melbourne’s top six batters to all but end the contest inside the first 15 overs.
“That’s the cool thing about cricket and definitely Premier Cricket, you’re club is always your home,” Blows said.
“No matter what state you end up at you always come back home and playing with some of your best mates.”
Anna O’Donnell (20 not out), Zoe Samuel (18) and Ella Stallwood (18) provided late resistance to be the Demons’ best with the bat.
With the likes of Bates, Rafferty and Milly Illingworth missing games due to state duties, Essendon Maribyrnong Park has relied on an emerging core of young stars.
The likes of Jomini, Davidge, Ira Aery, Grace Jones, Hannah Rooke and Mia Gordon played key roles in getting the Bombers to the grand final.
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Blows had no doubt the club was set up for long-term success.
“The last couple of years we haven’t been that far off but with that inexperience sometimes comes, what would you call it, fuzzy heads,” she said.
“Now they’ve found a way to win, which is crucial, and they’ve been a massive part of our success.
“We’re really lucky, we’re a club with a proud history, and we’re very lucky to have a great group of young girls who will be successful for many years after I’m gone.”
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