Two up again in women’s grade

Both Wests womens’ teams secured wins on the weekend with first grade winning by nine wickets over Sunshine Coast and twos overcoming competition heavyweights Souths by nine runs.

First Grade T20 vs Sunshine Coast

First grade racked up their ninth consecutive win with a clinical performance against the Sunshine Coast at Graceville Memorial Park. With gun bowler Holly Ferling and keeper Josie Dooley having already departed for WBBL duties, Megan Dixon and Ryleigh Wotherspoon both returned from injury to fill the vacancies.

Captain Annie Wikman won the toss and put the Coast in to bat. The visitors were in early trouble after losing their first wicket with only four runs on the board, and slumped further to be 4/40. Sunshine Coast rallied to take their score to 78 before losing another three wickets to Courtney Sippel and Annien Wikman for eleven runs. Ultimately they finished with 110 runs from their twenty overs with Cournney Sippel snaring three wickets and Meagan Dixon, Ash Sims, Grace Harris and Annie Wikman taking one each.

Grace Harris (56no off 39) and Meagan Dixon opened Wests’ batting innings and cruised to 89 before Meagan fell for a run-a-ball 42. Annie Wikman joined Grace at the crease and they overhauled the Sunny Coast’s target in the sixteenth over.

The win completes the first block of T20s for the season, and puts Wests securely at the top of the T20 competition table.

Grace Harris, Courtney Sippel and Meagan Dixon will join Holly and Josie in Sydney this week for the WBBL, so Wests’ young guns will get their opportunity next weekend to keep the magic happening!

Individual stats:

• Grace Harris 56no (39) & 1/21 (4)
• Meagan Dixon 42 (42) & 1/14 (4)
• Annie Wikman 10no (13) & 1/10 (1)
• Courtney Sippel 3/14 (4)
• Ash Sims 1/20 (4)

Second Grade One Day vs Souths

Our second grade girls fronted up ready to rumble against a strong Souths team who just last week stormed to a 168-run win over Redlands.

Wests captain Bec McCoombes secured the toss and opted to take the first dig. Wests innings started slowly but the run rate built steadily throughout. Goffage sisters Isabel (82 off 72) and Eliza (41 off 63) built the innings through the middle overs after Izzy Hartog (32no off 60) and Kinjal Dani opened proceedings. Izzy and returned to the crease after having earlier retired ill and was soon joined by Emma Lockwood to take the innings to an imposing total of 199.

Imposing it was, but still very gettable for a Souths side that scored 238 last weekend!

Wests immediately applied pressure with accurate bowling generating five dot balls from Sophie Martin, and it quickly paid off when some very slick work by Isabel Goffage and keeper Scarlett Varidel secured the runout of Souths opener Amreen Kahlon. Souths steadied and took their total to 58 before Emma Lockwood reeled in a difficult caught-and-bowled wicket.

Again Souths steadied with Eloise Schabe and captain Amanda Carpenter increasing the tempo and moving their score to 125. And then “The Jessinator” Jess Bryant stepped up to the bowling crease and removed Carpenter with an edge down leg side taken by Scarlett Varidel. Jess blasted out out another three batswomen in and Sophie Martin had key bat Eloise Schabe caught behind and Souths were suddenly 7/134. Souths No.6 Abby Curness combined with the tail to pull Souths within reach of Wests’ total but Wests’ girls held on and secured a hard-fought 9-run victory.

The win makes it two wins from two games and gives the girls great early-season momentum.

Individual Stats:

• Isabel Goffage 82 (72)
• Eliza Goffage 41 (63)
• Isobel Hartog 32no (60)
• Jess Bryant 4/22 (8)
• Sophie Martin 1/36 (8)
• Emma Lockwood 1/12 (3)