Our premier grade teams notched up two wins from T20 three games with second grade chalking up a strong win over the Gold Coast and first grade going down in the morning to Sandgate-Redcliffe by getting up of the mat in the afternoon to account for Ipswich.
First Grade
In the first game of the day, Wests batted first and started well with Ryleigh Wotherspoon and Isabel Goffage taking the tally to 39 before Ryleigh fell for 18. Naiya Varidel succumbed to a sharp stumping a few balls later before Olivia Steel and Isabel consolidated to take the score to 63. When Olivia departed for 13 off 10 balls, and the wickets then started to fall quickly. Isabel was bowled shortly after for a solid 21 of 34 and the team managed to post 97 by the close of the innings thanks to some late runs off the bat of Eloise Schabe.
The team made early inroads with the ball, reducing Sandgate-Redcliffe to 2/27 thanks to wickets by Filippa Suesee and Keyra Smith. Sandgate locked proceedings down after that though, grinding their way to the win in the 18th over with the loss of one more wicket to Taylor Hamblin’s bowling.
Key Statistics – Game 1 vs Sandgate-Redcliffe
- Isabel Goffage 21 (34)
- Ryleigh Wotherspoon 18 (34)
- Eloise Schabe 18no (21)
- Olivia Steel 13 (10)
- Filippa Suesee 1/16 (3)
- Taylor Hamblin 1/18 (3.2)
- Keyra Smith 1/20 (3)
Having completed their morning warm-up, the girls fronted up to the second game against Ipswich ready for a showdown!
Wests again batted first, and this time openers Ryleigh and Olivia strode to 62 before Olivia departs for a quick 31 from 27 balls. Isabel joined Ryleigh in middle and they pushed the score to 94 before Isabel holed out to mid off for 18, Ryleigh was trapped lbw for 37 in the next over and Keyra was stumped a couple of balls later with the score on 96 and just three overs remaining. After a couple of sighters, Naiya Varidel took control of proceedings, smiting 22 not out from 15 with the support of Rebecca Storrs who contributed a handy 9no to close the innings at 4/135.
With the ball in hand, Wests opening bowlers toiled for the wicket of Ipswich opener Felicity Koch off Keyra Smith’s bowling, but the match was still in the balance at 1-46 in the tenth over until spinners Lilli Hamilton, Taylor and Naiya took three wickets between them and Ryleigh and Naiya combined for a runout, putting Ipswich on the ropes at 6/70 and just four overs remaining. The spinners continued to do the damage with Taylor and Naiya grabbing another wicket apiece (not to mention a very slick stumping by Ryleigh) and the Westies wrapped up a dominant win by 34 runs.
Key Statistics – Game 2 vs Ipswich
- Ryleigh Wotherspoon 37 (51)
- Olivia Steel 31 (27)
- Naiya Varidel 22no (15) & 2/22 (4)
- Rebecca Storrs 9no (9)
- Isabel Goffage 18 (18)
- Taylor Hamblin 3/22 (4)
- Lilli Hamilton 1/11 (4)
- Keyra Smith 1/15 (3)
Second Grade
With a spot in the T20 comp semi-finals on the line, our second grade girls showed up ready to rumble against their only T20 game of the weekend against Gold Coast.
Our ladies chose to wield the willow first and early on most of their rumbling (apart from a rollicking 18 off just 11 by Olivia Totten) took the form of rolling wickets as the top order departed quickly, and the team found themselves in a deep hole at six down for 71. With only 10 overs gone at that point the run rate was healthy but the wickets column was looking bare. Luckily Wests bats deep, and with regular one-day openers Claire Molloy and Scarlett Varidel still at the crease anything was possible!
Claire and Scarlett combined with flair and aplomb to whisk the rug out from under the Gold Coast bowlers with an unbeaten 85-run stand for the seventh wicket, with Claire clouting 63no and Scarlett working her way back into batting form with 22no.
With 156runs on the board, Wests took to the field. Not to worry, with a masterstroke, captain Chelsea Sonter delayed introducing the team’s secret weapon (wicketkeeper-cum-offspinner Scarlett Varidel) until the sixteenth over, and that was pretty much that. Scarlett took four wickets for five runs and the game was cooked.
Wests came out the winners by 94 runs and secured their spot in the top four!
Postscript: After the washouts on the following weekend, our second grade girls have made it to the Jodie Purves Shield T20 semi-finals. They’ll be playing their semi on Saturday October 29 against Wynnum-Manly at Wynnum at 8:30am, and if they get up the final will be played on Sunday October 30.
Key statistics – T20 match vs Gold Coast
- Claire Molloy 63no (43) & 1/10 (3)
- Scarlett Varidel 22no (32) & 4/5 (3)
- Olivia Totten 18 (11) & 2/9 (4)
