Promising weekend for Wests women’s grade teams

This weekend featured a big win for Wests first grade women over Ipswich-Logan , and a much improved showing by our second grade team against a strong UQ side.

First Grade vs Ipswich-Logan

Wests elected to set their bowlers loose first against Ipswich-Logan after winning the toss. Ipswich were immediately in trouble with the loss of opener Sibona Jimmy caught behind off Holly Ferling’s bowling on the first ball of the game. Wickets fell regularly throughout the Ipswich-Logan innings before a last-wicket stand between Rachel Lewis and Hannah Lehmann kept Wests bowlers at bay for 9 overs, adding a final 24 runs before Ipswich-Logan were finally dismissed in the 49th over for 106 runs. Meagan Dixon was the chief destroyer, taking three wickets. Grace Harris and Holly Ferling captured two and Ash Sims and Courtney Sippel snared one each.

Wests opening bats made short work of the run chase with Grace Harris racing to 67no off only 40 balls, and Kirby Short also not messing about either with 34no off 44.

Wests completed a 10-wicket victory in the fourteenth over.

The win elevated Wests into fourth place in the one-day table, placing the team into one-day finals contention for the first time this season with five regular season rounds to go.

Key Individual Statistics:

• Grace Harris 67no (40) & 2/16 (10)
• Kirby Short 34 (44)
• Meagan Dixon 3/9 (8.1)
• Holly Ferling 2/28 (10)
• Ashleigh Sims 1/7 (7)
• Courtney Sippel 1/29 (9)

Second Grade v University of Queensland

UQ elected to bat first after winning the toss. Wests opening bowlers Isobel Hartog and Naiya Varidel restricted the run rate in the early overs and captured two wickets. After eight overs UQ were only 2/24 , but runs began to flow from UQ’s bats in the middle overs, fueled by a long partnership between Georgia Relf and Belinda Dawney which was broken when Relf was run out by Layla Proctor’s slick fielding assisted by keeper Sofia Nearhos. Another significant UQ partnership was broken by Alex Lloyd when she dismissed UQ’s top scorer Belinda Dawney (62) and Sheba Hai in the 26th over with the score at 6/132. Jess Bryant captured her first grade cricket wicket, and Naiya Varidel took out the final three wickets, leaving UQ all out for 179.

After the loss of two early wickets, Wests’ run chase settled and Naiya Varidel and Layla Proctor took the score to 110 before Naiya was out for 52 off 65 balls. Layla Proctor departed soon after for a well-compiled 34 off 40 balls in her debut grade cricket game for Wests. Several wickets fell in quick succession, and Wests were in trouble at 8/118. Sofia Nearhos and Scarlett Varidel steadied the innings before Sofia departed run out with the score on 139. Wests innings finished with the departure of Jess Bryant with a final score of 142.

So – a loss by 37 runs, but it was a considerably improved showing from their previous nine-wicket loss against the second-placed UQ team. We’re looking forward to even better things next week against Souths!

Key Individual Statistics:

• Naiya Varidel 52 (65) & 4/18 (6)
• Layla Proctor 34 (40)
• Sofia Nearhos 14 (28)
• Alexandra Lloyd 2/39 (8)
• Isobel Hartog 1/21 (8)
• Jess Bryant 1/14 (3)
• Sarah Kelso 1/13 (2)