Led by a magnificent maiden ton from the bat of captain Annie Wikman, our womens’ first grade team romped to victory over the Sunshine Coast at Elizabeth Daniels Park on Sunday. The win chalked up a third “W” on the trot for the team, and was made doubly difficult by the fact that no less than seven of our regular first grade players were away on representative cricket duty!
First Grade OD vs Sunshine Coast
Captain Annie Wikman sent the Scorchers in to bat and for a while it was looking like a great decision when the home team was on the back foot at two down for only 42 thanks to lbws to Liv Hartland and Ash Sims. It was tough going from there on however with Taylor Stumer and Mikayla Wrigley taking the score to 109 before Wests first grade debutant Ayaka Stafford trapped Mikayla in front for her maiden first grade scalp.
The coast girls kept piling on the runs with Taylor Stumer and Charlotte Lutz adding another 84 for the fourth wicket before Liv Hartland ended Taylor’s innings on 56 in the forty-first over with a direct hit runout.
Up to that point it had looked like the home team would score well in excess of 250, but Liv’s runout proved to be a turning point. Naiya Varidel had Phoebe Murphy stumped by stand-in keeper Annie Wikman shortly after. (For the trivia buffs: Naiya and Annie shared the keeping duties for the match, so this was a rare case of keepers being both the bowler and the stumper!) Wickets began tumbling in earnest with a runout to Jess Bryant and Annie short afterwards, Naiya catching a top edge off Charlotte Lutz’bat and Emma taking a great catch running backwards, and Ash Sims grabbing two late wickets.
Despite the late collapse, the Sunshine Coast finished on a very defendable 9/223.
Wests batting innings started confidently with joint keepers-for-the-day Annie and Naiya channeling their inner Alyssa Healy and racking up an opening stand of 93 before Naiya departed for a characteristically elegant 31. Annie decided to keep her Alyssa-impression going and pushed on aggressively with Eloise Schabe.
By the time Eloise left for 37 in the thirty-first over, the score stood at 175 and a win was looking more likely. Confidence wobbled momentarily when Liv Steel was run out shortly afterward, but Liv Hartland came to the crease and dropped anchor while Annie continued to pepper the boundary.
Annie secured her first grade cricket ton in the final stages of the chase and finished on a magnificent undefeated 112 from just 115 deliveries. Liv Hartland finished with a determined 8 not out from 29.
Wests scored the winning runs with eight overs and eight wickets to spare.
The win elevated the first grade ladies to second spot on the Katherine Raymont Shield one-day ladder with one more one-day game remaining before the comp swings back into T20 mode (where the girls are currently in third spot).
They’re back at home next week playing long-time rivals Sandgate-Redcliffe!
Key Stats:
- Annie Wikman 112* (115)
- Naiya Varidel 31 & 2/45 (10)
- Eloise Schabe 37 (41)
- Ashleigh Sims 3/22 (10)
- Olivia Hartland 1/17 (4)
- Ayaka Stafford 1/29 (5)
Second Grade
No fixtures were played in the second grade women’s comp this weekend.
