We analyse the Premier Cricket Women’s decider and name our Team of the Year
The players to watch and where the game will be won ahead of the Premier Cricket Women’s grand final. Plus, we name our Team of the Year for 2022-23.
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It’s grand final week in Premier Cricket.
A blockbuster awaits as Essendon Maribyrnong Park and Melbourne clash at the Junction Oval on Sunday.
The minor premier against the reigning premier.
Both teams will have their state guns back for the match, which promises to be a wonderful showcase of women’s cricket.
Leader Local Cricket scribes have also named the Premier Cricket Women’s Team of the Year with the Bombers and Demons featuring heavily.
It’s been a super season and we expect a super finish on Sunday.
PREMIER CRICKET WOMEN’S GRAND FINAL
ESSENDON MARIBYRNONG PARK v MELBOURNE
Sunday, March 5 at Junction Oval
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
R9, 22-23: Melbourne (164) def by Essendon Maribyrnong Park (2-168) at Aberfeldie Park
R8, 22-23: Essendon Maribyrnong Park (6-272) def Melbourne (214) at Albert Ground
R12, 21-22: Melbourne (164) def by Essendon Maribyrnong Park (3-169) at Albert Ground
R6, 21-22: Melbourne (255) def Essendon Maribyrnong Park (8-170) at Aberfeldie Park
PLAYERS TO WATCH
ELLA HAYWARD (Melbourne)
Hayward has played just three one-day matches for the Dees this year and has been dismissed only once in that three. In total, she has played five matches – including T20 cricket – and has still only been dismissed once. Melbourne will be hard to stop if she gets going.
MAKINLEY BLOWS (EMP)
Was superb in the qualifying final win over Carlton with an unbeaten 65 and 2-15. Finished the home-and-away season as the second-highest run-scorer and hit a season-best 112 against Melbourne in Round 8. Will be a key wicket at the top of the order for EMP but can also impact games with the ball, having taken 12 wickets this season, including a 4-34 against Dandenong.
HASRAT GILL (Melbourne)
Gill had a slow start to the year but has blossomed at the right time. She bowls well in partnerships and will have to do so again on Sunday if Melbourne is to be victorious.
IRA AERY (EMP)
Handed the new rock in the qualifying final against Carlton and ripped through the Blues, taking a career-best 4-27. Not bad for a youngster that celebrated her 14th birthday during the week. While EMP has state players set to return, that performance secured Aery’s place in the First XI and she’ll look to repeat her heroics against Melbourne
ANNA O’DONNELL (Melbourne)
From all reports, the CitiPower Centre wicket is laced with grass, which means the seamer will play another huge role. O’Donnell performed strongly on a green wicket last week, so will be comfortable on another bowler friendly track.
MILLY ILLINGWORTH (EMP)
Available after Victoria’s WNCL season finished, Illingworth slots straight back into the side. It is an immense boost for the Bombers with the fiery 17-year-old quick showcasing her talents with 4-41 in her state debut against Western Australia. Opened the bowling against ACT alongside EMP teammate Sam Bates and finished with 0-35 from eight overs in her last appearance.
RHIANN O’DONNELL (Melbourne)
The 2021-22 Paisley Medallist snared 4-20 to put Carlton to the sword last week and will be a threat with both bat and ball on grand final day.
TIA DAVIDGE (EMP)
Still only 17 but already a key member of the Bombers’ First XI. Davidge provides handy secondary runs and is rock solid behind the stumps. A career-best season saw her hit 159 runs at 19.88 in 10 one-day appearances, including a maiden half-century against Plenty Valley. Davidge topped the competition with 12 catches this season and also had three stumpings.
AMY YATES (Melbourne)
With WNCL matches completed, Yates is free to play for Melbourne. The talented batter has an imperious record in big games for the Dees.
KATIA JOMINI (EMP)
Premier Cricket Women’s leading wicket-taker this season with 22 scalps in the home-and-away season. A breakout campaign for the young offie who took a wicket in all but one match. Struggled in the first clash against Melbourne taking 1-50 but responded in the clash at Aberfeldie Park with 3-31.
WHAT THE CLUBS SAID
George Shaw, EMP coach
“If we play to our strengths, we’ve got a really well balanced cricket team.”
“There’s a few unlucky girls that have missed out who have played a major part in our team and done a terrific job for us this season.
“We had four professional, senior state players available for this game and they’ll all come in.
“Sam Bates, Milly Illingworth, Chloe Bates and Emily Smith, who missed the semi with illness, come in, unfortunately at the expense of four ripping kids that have done the job for us all year.
“Melbourne are a very class unit and have been for a long time but I’ve always felt we concentrate on us and not them.
“We don’t tend to look at, it might be wrong, but I’ve never been one to look at the opposition maybe as much as a I should.
Hannah Rooke, Mia Gordon, Amanpreet Kaur and Ruby Gibson are the unlucky four to miss out.
Teagan Parker, Melbourne captain
“I think we have timed it pretty well, it’s always hard to tell.”
“We had a horrendous loss to Box Hill leading into finals and then we rectified that with the last couple of weeks, I think we have timed it okay, we always knew we had some good cricket in us it just didn’t really click.
“Even when we were winning games, we didn’t feel we were performing at our best, so we knew if we got it right, we would be in contention.
“We used to look at sides like EMP and they’d lose half of their side going out for state and Aussie duties and would think ‘oh gosh, how tough would that be’ to have so much inconsistency.
“I can say it is hard, but that is why you grow the depth of your club so when the state players are away you still have coverage, to get us this far is such a testament to those girls who have helped us get here.
“I saw a photo of it (the pitch) 10 minutes ago, it does look pretty green, I think Brad from the Junction is confident it will turn into an absolute belter.
“I am a bit biased, but I think we have two of the best bowling attacks going at it this weekend.
VERDICT
This is a true 50-50 call. Essendon Maribyrnong Park has been the form side all season and has beaten Melbourne twice already. The Bombers also have four state players returning for the match, including key weapons Sam Bates and Milly Illingworth. However, the quartet haven’t played a lot in red and black this season. Likewise, Melbourne has Rhiann O’Donnell and Ella Hayward back but significantly the pair has a game under their belt after beating Carlton in the preliminary final. Having finished fourth, the Demons enter the game in top form after knocking off Box Hill and Carlton – both on the road – in sudden-death finals. On paper Melbourne looks to have the greater experience and having won the flag last season is a strong chance to go back-to-back. PREMIER: MELBOURNE
PREMIER CRICKET WOMEN’S TEAM OF THE YEAR
1. NIPUNI HANSIKA (Plenty Valley)
A superb season with Plenty Valley saw the former Sri Lanka international top the competition’s run-scorers charts. Hansika plundered 447 runs at an average of 55.88 in 10 appearances as the Bats showed vast improvement under new coach Suraj Randiv. The Plenty Valley opener hit a season-high 85 not out against Carlton in a stunning bonus-point upset win and finish the campaign in red-hot form with scores of 42 (against Box Hill), 46 (EMP), 40 (Ringwood) and 53 (Melbourne).
2. MAKINLEY BLOWS (EMP) (Capt)
The dynamic opening bat has made 498 runs in 11 hits this year at an average of 55.33. After relinquishing herself from Victorian duties, Blows has rejuvenated the Bombers’ top order. Tipping her for the Una Paisley would be a safe bet.
3. ANNA LANNING (Box Hill)
The Box Hill legend only played six one-dayers this season but still managed to finish fifth on the competition’s run-scorers charts. Lanning knocked up 276 runs at an average of 46, including a high-score of 97. She hit three 50s in six digs, highlighting her incredible consistency, as Box Hill finished third before falling to Melbourne in the elimination final.
4. JENNIFER TAFFS (Prahran)
Third in the runs tally while playing for the last-placed side, Taffs compiled 3337 runs at 37.44 this summer with two half-centuries.
5. KIRA CHATHLI (Carlton)
The Englishwoman was prolific before returning to the UK in January. Despite playing only nine one-dayers, she was still a top-10 run-scorer with 254 at an average of 28.22. A key reason in Carlton’s run to the T20 Super Slam final and strong one-day season that saw it finish second on the home-and-away ladder and was sorely missed in the Blues straight sets finals exit.
6. POPPY GARDNER (Dandenong)
The young all-rounder made 263 runs with the bat and took 21 wickets with the ball. She regularly performed while under pressure, emerging as a future leader for the Panthers.
7. TEAGAN PARKER (Melb) (WK)
The Melbourne skipper takes the gloves after another superb campaign behind the stumps. Pouched seven catches and showed her experience and quick reflexes with a league-leading eight stumpings. Continues to be a major contributor with the bat too, scoring 235 runs in the home-and-away season at an average of 33.57 – good enough for 12th overall.
8. HASRAT GILL (Melbourne)
The teenage whiz-kid levelled her responsibilities with the ball with a rise up the order with the bat this year. She has 238 runs at 26 and 19 wickets at 17.79 to date.
9. MADISON ALBERS (Carlton)
The Blues quick continues to rack up big numbers of wickets. Another 20 went into the kit bag this season after an impressive 25 in 2021-22. Also claimed a maiden five-wicket haul, ripping through Ringwood for 6-32 to secure a bonus-point win. It saw her make her WNCL debut for Victoria in a double-header against Queensland, taking 1-24 and 0-23 in the two matches.
10. ANNA O‘DONNELL (Melbourne)
O’Donnell sits second in the competition for wickets with 22. She is just one of three bowlers to bowl over 100 overs this summer and is equal second for maidens.
11. KATIA JOMINI (EMP)
The Bombers spinner claimed the Premier Cricket Women’s bowling title with 22 scalps this season, at 15.09 runs per. It was a career-best campaign for the young gun, which started with a maiden five-wicket haul against Ringwood. Has taken at least one wicket in every matches this season, bar one and three or more five times in 10 outings.
12. LINSEY SMITH (Dandenong)
Dandenong’s English import had a consistent summer with both bat and ball. She made 282 runs for an average of 23.50 with three fifties and claimed 12 wickets at 16.25.
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