Mooroopna batter Poppy Vandermeer hears the death rattle.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
After a month on ice, Cricket Shepparton’s women’s competition returned from the break with plenty to say.
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Teams are now tearing down the road to finals with only two regular season rounds remaining, and the hierarchy appears set following the weekend’s matches.
Saturday pitted Shepparton Youth Club United against hosting Kyabram, and the travellers consolidated third spot courtesy of a 23-run win rubber stamped by a fine opening stand.
Mel Saunders and Dianne Poole put on 61 runs for the first wicket, and though the former eventually holed out for a blink-and-you-miss it 47 off 29 balls (nine fours), Poole went on to raise her bat.
What made it even more special? It was the first time she’d ever done so.
Once Saunders made her walk back to the sheds, Molly McFarlane departed shortly after for two and though Alicia Kazayi’s stay was less fleeting, she too would move on for 11 following an LBW decision.
Poole was the constant throughout, slashing a boundary in the 18th over to bring up her maiden half century to rapturous applause.
She was caught out an over later, but the platform was set as SYCU rounded out on 4-124.
Kyabram built a valiant case for victory on the chase despite losing Melissa Parsons second ball as Cathy Dervish (25 retired not out) and Rebecca Bowles (37) whittled away at the run target.
But once the pair took leave, the Redbacks ran out of time - and steam.
Bar a 16-run cameo from Penny Mason, Kyabram fell short with six wickets remaining as the chance to etch its second notch in the win column went begging.
Meanwhile on Sunday, Nagambie continued its full throttle assault on the comp.
Eight was the magic number for the Lakers, sealing an eight wicket win away to Mooroopna to make it eight straight wins this season.
Batting first, the Cats were anchored by Poppy Vandermeer’s 20 run knock while Tamsyn Hutchins and Charlie Nicholson each chimed in with 13 apiece.
However, the Cats weren’t offered much support outside of the trio and ended their innings at 9-81 with Shelley Houston, Sharay Slivarich and Kayla Shepherd taking two wickets each.
From there, Nagambie’s mercurial opening duo of Shepherd (25 runs) and Madison Albers (27) did the legwork, with Sandy Ezard (11) and Houston (nine) steering the ship home with 38 balls to spare.
Hutchins was Mooroopna’s lone wicket taker, snaring tidy figures of 2-7 off four overs.
All Cricket Shepparton sides will have the break this weekend, with Mooroopna away to Kyabram while SYCU welcomes Nagambie to Princess Park in a fortnight’s time.
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