Mooroopna batter Tamsyn Hutchins middled every ball sent her way to claim a Cats win.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Mooroopna is two wins clear inside the top two of the Cricket Shepparton women’s ladder following its destruction of Shepparton Youth Club United, although early jitters had the Cats staring at a cataclysmic upset.
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Mooroopna picked apart SYCU with the ball across its 20-over innings, sending stumps out of the ground on multiple occasions, while United continued its struggles this season to find runs despite once again defending all 10 wickets for the duration of the innings.
SYCU managed to see out all 120 deliveries, but with tight bowling and disciplined fielding, only tallied 8-36.
No batter could enter double figures, with skipper and opener Lia Beecroft’s eight from 46 balls the top individual run scorer, behind 19 sundries.
Four scores of nought captured SYCU’s struggles with the willow, with Amani Issell’s mid-innings spell dealing the biggest damage, claiming figures of 3-1 off two overs.
With less than two runs required per over, it was set to be a simple run chase for the Cats - but SYCU’s pace attack had other ideas.
Rebecca Laino tore out Charlie Nicholson’s middle stump for a two-ball duck, before fellow opener Poppy Vandermeer had the bail of off stump clipped off by Hayley Williamson to depart for one.
Sitting at 2-5, SYCU had a fleeting moment of hope - somehow, given its precariously low total.
However, when Tasmyn Hutchins dug her rubber spikes across the line of middle stump, Mooroopna’s fortunes turned for the better.
The number three bat smoked a drive to the boundary off her first ball, before picking off a single at ease, followed by another powerful swing to sail the pink pill to the fences.
Facing just two dot balls in her short 10-ball cameo, Hutchins removed any fear of a Cats collapse, guiding Mooroopna home alongside Mia Earl, with the pair both recording 14 not out to pass the target two balls into the seventh over.
Bails fly behind Mooroopna batter Charlie Nicholson after being bowled out.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
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SYCU wicket keeper Molly McFarlane cheers the wicket of Mooroopna batter Charlie Nicholson.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
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SYCU celebrating an early wicket.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
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Mooroopna batter Poppy Vandermeer stands in disbelief after being bowled.
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Megan Fisher
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Mooroopna batter Poppy Vandermeer flashes a smile as she comes off the ground.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
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Mooroopna batter Mia Earl winds back a cut shot.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
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Mooroopna batter Tamsyn Hutchins swings with power.
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Megan Fisher
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SYCU fielder Lin Ramachandra collects the pink Kookaburra.
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Megan Fisher
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Mooroopna batter Tamsyn Hutchins drives down the wicket.
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Megan Fisher
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SYCU bowler Rebecca Laino grips the Kookaburra along the seam.
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Megan Fisher
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Mooroopna batter Tamsyn Hutchins makes her ground.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
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SYCU bowler Hayley Williamson takes off the bails but for no wicket.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
The win places Mooroopna one and a half wins ahead of SYCU on the table, albeit two ahead in the win column given SYCU’s no result with Nagambie handed the club two premiership points.
Nagambie claimed another four points in round six, however it came without a ball bowled as Kyabram forfeited its weekend clash.
The current top two sides face off yet again in round seven, with the undefeated Lakers holding two wins over the Cats, albeit not in highly convincing fashion, leaving Mooroopna with optimism for this weekend.
Kyabram and SYCU will clash at Princess Park on the turf wicket in an early morning Saturday fixture.
