Young guns guide Norths to Cricket Far North title

An unbeaten 46-run stand between a pair of talented teenagers led Norths to a six-wicket victory against Mulgrave in Sunday’s Cricket Far North Ladies 30 Overs grand final at Griffiths Park.

An unbeaten 46-run stand between teenage talents Elisha Ayson and Jesleen Patel led Norths to a six-wicket victory against Mulgrave in Sunday’s Cricket Far North Ladies 30 Overs grand final at Griffiths Park.

Coming together with their side in trouble at 4-31, Ayson (36 not out) and Patel (11 not out) negated a potentially fatal collapse to guide Norths to a win in the 23rd over and secure back-to-back 30 Overs titles.

Earlier, the Mulgrave attack started brilliantly as it defended just 92.

The early loss of Fiona Sharp (two) and Sally Green (five) had Norths on the back foot before two wickets in the space of four balls to Mulgrave’s Anisha Sandher left Norths reeling.

Norths’ Jesleen Patel, 17, and Elisha Ayson, 14.

The entrance of Ayson and Patel stemmed the flow of Mulgrave wickets before they capitalised in the later overs.

Skipper Paula Fabila was ecstatic with the pair’s ability to turn the strike over and guide the side to victory.

“They composed themselves, they played some smart shots and if there was a chance they gave away, they came back on the next ball,” she said.

“They were very smart for their age. I could not ask for more from those girls.”

Norths celebrate winning back-to-back Cricket Far North 30 Overs titles.

A strong performance from the Norths attack had Mulgrave in big trouble at 8-45, before a 41-run stand between Hana Sharpe (26 not out) and Amy Byrnes (20 retired not out) gave the side something to bowl at.

A Cricket Far North Ladies Twenty20 competition will be held in the new year.

Hunter ‘proud’ to make history

Atherton weapon Amy Hunter is “proud” to make history as the first female to participate in the Barrier Reef Big Bash.

Hunter, one of the brightest cricketing talents in the Far North, will line up for Piccones Badgers when they take on Twomey Schriber Thunder in the season opener on Friday night.

It is an opportunity the 15-year-old said was unexpected, but she can’t wait to get on the pitch and take on first-graders.

“My coach suggested that I put my name up,” she said.

“I wasn’t sure at the start but he convinced me and my parents, and then Badgers picked up.

“I feel honoured that they trust me and saw value in me.”

Hunter plays against men for Atherton in Cricket Far North’s fourth grade, and backs up for Innisfail in the Ladies 30 Over competition – when she’s not on duty for Sunshine Coast Scorchers in the Premier League. She is also a Northern Queensland women’s representative.

For Badgers, Hunter will likely be used as a bowler.

“I’ve had a couple of chats about my role and I’ll probably bowl when there’s an opportunity,” Hunter said.

Hunter’s big dream is to play at the highest possible level, and there’s every chance playing against first-graders could help lift her game higher.

Backyard bowling machine helps Toshach lift game

The chance to captain the Northern Queensland women’s side is one that Tolga cricketer Abby Toshach will not be taking for granted.

The 18-year-old batswoman has made a habit out of earning representative selection throughout her junior career, but at this weekend’s North Queensland Women's Open Zone Championships in Mackay will take on more responsibility than ever before.

“I’m excited to be able to go down and represent Northern Queensland,” she said.

“Hopefully we can get a few wins, it will be good fun.”

The young talent was in blistering form with the bat playing for Innisfail in the Cricket Far North Ladies competition two weeks ago, blasting 101 runs off 73 balls, including 12 fours and two sixes, against Norths.

It was the second century of her career.

“My first I was quite young and I haven’t had much luck since then so it was good to get some runs,” she said.

When asked what her form could be put down to, Toshach gave a simple answer – “just lots of training”.

“I’ve got a bit of a cricket tragic family – my dad is absolutely obsessed – so we have a bowling machine and a fully concreted net and everything, it’s pretty awesome,” she said.

“We train probably two or three times a week in there, then add on club training – I play for three different clubs so it’s all different training. I also have another coach, Blake Rutherford, who’s been training me pretty heavily lately.”

As well as playing for Innisfail in the Ladies competition, Toshach plays against men with Atherton’s fifth grade side and, when she can, travels south to play for Ipswich in the Queensland Women’s Premier Grade competition.

She also played for Gold Coast in this year’s Brisbane Premier League Under-19 Women’s competition.

“It gets a bit much sometimes but I’ve booked about seven or eight flights down to Brisbane and I just plan everything else around that, depending on who needs me and what teams are full,” she said.

“I just try to get whatever game I can and hopefully get some runs.”

Toshach will be joined by Far North products Alana Romano, Keiryn Lenoy, Amy Hunter, Karri Keen, Sharon Bradford, Kareena White, Paula Fabila, Talytha MacDonald and Chloe Riggs in the Northern Queensland side.

Originally published as Young guns guide Norths to Cricket Far North title