Our women’s first grade team pulled out a heart-stopping one-wicket win over Wynnum/Manly-Redlands and second grade went down to Sunshine Coast this weekend. The games were played side-by-side on Graceville Memorial Park, providing a rare treat and a great club day of women’s cricket!
First Grade vs Wynnum/Manly-Redlands
A five-fa from captain Holly Ferling and a fifty from Naiya Varidel were enough to secure our girls seventh first grade one-day win for the season in the Katherine Raymont Shield on Sunday. The win leaves them in third position on the table, equal on points but one win clear of fourth-placed Sunshine Coast. First and second spots are currently held by Valleys and UQ.
Wests will play two of the top-four teams (UQ and Sunshine Coast) in their last four regular-season games.
Wynnum/Manly-Redlands batted first and Holly Ferling ensured they got off to a difficult start knocking out three of their top four bats in her first spell. Naiya Varidel snared their number five soon afterwards in her first over, and the visitors found themselves deeply under the pump at 4 for 25 in the twelfth over.
Scoring was understandably slow after that disastrous start, but opener Rebecca Riddell and Holly Barr dug in and took the aggregate to 108 before Rebecca was run out to a direct hit by Lilli Hamilton in the 38th over. Holly Barr reached fifty but was bowled by Lilly Bassingthwaighte a few balls later for 52.
At that point Wests were looking to be in a strong position with Wynnum/Manly-Redlands struggling at 6/117 after 39 overs. Holly Ferling rejoined the attack and promptly bagged two more wickets, giving her five for the game and the second in her grade cricket career. Congratulations on a great day out with the ball, Holly – five-fas aren’t easy to come by when the first grade comps are all one-day and T20 cricket!
Lilly Bassingthwaighte and Isabel Goffage bagged the remaining two wickets for the innings and Wynnum/Manly-Redlands finished on 148 all out in the final over.
Wests batting innings got off to a very solid start with openers Naiya Varidel and Isabel Goffage bringing up fifty before Isabel was bowled for nine in the eighteenth over. Holly Ferling joined Naiya in the middle and they took the total to 81 before Holly was out for 12 slicing a wide ball to point.
Naiya began to expand her shot-making and brought up her maiden first grade fifty with an on-drive past the bowler. Together with Olivia Steele, she took the score past the hundred mark before she was out for 58.
With 113 on the board, 38 to get and seven wickets and seventeen overs still in hand, Wests looked to have the game in the bag. They decided to make it a bit more interesting though! Three quick wickets later, the situation was looking quite a bit tighter at 7 for 121. When Live Steel departed for a well-compiled 22, they were 7 down and still 25 runs from home.
Sophie Whittaker steadied the innings with an unbeaten 22, and took the team home for a one-wicket win with 13 balls to go.
Great win girls… and great entertainment! Not sure the heart-burn caused by these last-gasp wins is a good thing, though!!
Key player stats:
- Naiya Varidel 58 (115) & 1/13 (5)
- Sophie Whittaker 22* (32)
- Olivia Steele 22 (47)
- Holly Ferling 12 (16) & 5/17 (10)
- Lilly Bassingthwaighte 2/30 (9)
- Isabel Goffage 9 (46) & 1/11 (4.2)
Second Grade vs Sunshine Coast
Our improving second grade team put on a fighting performance to put on 158 with the bat, but were unable to hold off the Sunshine Coast, going down with three overs remaining.
Courtney Home top-scored with an entertaining 34 from 39 balls, matched by a simlarly avante-garde 22 not out in 19 balls from Jess Bryant to close the innings. Emma Lockwood opened with a solid 25, batting for an extended period with Filippa SueSee who chalked up 17.
Jess and Kyrna Crump showed the way to the wickets, snaring three and two respectively with Fillippa and Bec McCoombes chipping in with one apiece.
Hard luck on the loss girls, but great to see the fighting spirit!
Key Player Stats:
- Emma Lockwood 25 (65)
- Courtney Home 34 (39)
- Jessica Bryant 22 (19) & 3/26 (8)
- Filippa Suesee 17 (30) & 1/18 (6)
- Kyrna Crump 2/27 (6)
- Rebecca McCoombes 1/13 (3)
