Women’s Cricket gets bowling

LAST weekend the inaugural Leongatha District Cricket Association women’s competition kicked off with four matches in round 1. 

Some terrific cricket was played across the competition in the beautiful sunshine on the weekend with all players loving every minute. 

Each batting pair gets to face four overs before retiring and each bowler gets two overs in what are quick T20 matches.

The next matches will be played on Sunday, November 20. 

Invy’ starts with a win

Inverloch v Foster Black: It was a perfect afternoon for cricket at the Inverloch Recreation Reserve and the visiting Foster side won the toss and sent the ‘Stingettes’ in to bat. 

The hosts were on the ball from the outset with Charley Donohue finding the boundary on her way to a well-made 9.

All the ‘Stingettes’ were able to get off the mark and make some valuable runs on their way to an awesome first innings total of 124 highlighted by Liza Burrows’ 23 which included three fours! 

In reply, the hosts were just as dominant, starting out with a classy caught and bowled from Julia Algie who bowled well in her opening spell and Keely Dennerley kept the pressure on with an excellent spell taking 2/5 herself. 

Inverloch ran out winners on the day by 77-runs, they’ll face Koonwarra L/RSL in their next match at home in round two. 

As for Foster Black, they’ll face off with Foster Yellow. 

Nyora edges Killy-Bass Blue in a close one

Nyora v Kilcunda-Bass Blue: Nyora welcomed the Kilcunda-Bass Blue girls down the road to Nyora Recreation Reserve where the hosts won the toss and chose to field first. 

In a tightly contested match, both sides played some superb cricket but in the first innings it was Killy-Bass reaching 99 with the bat, highlighted by Melody Stone’s 19, which included two fours! 

Jazmyn De Jong and Teisha Howarth were the pick of the bowlers for Nyora, each taking a wicket and allowing just three runs. 

In the chase, the hosts top order was unreal, led by Krystin Wurzbacher at number four who belted five fours on her way to a stunning 25. 

The work of the top order was backed up by the final partnership between Howarth and her captain Kristy Uren who made 12 and nine respectively, seeing Nyora past the Sharks total, and to a 7-wicket win. 

Nyora’s next match will come against Longwarry at home in round two, while Kilcunda-Bass Blue will face fellow Sharks Kilcunda-Bass White. 

Koony starts off in style 

Foster Yellow v Koonwarra L/RSL: Koonwarra travelled down to the Foster Golf Club to face off with Foster Yellow who won the toss and chose to bat first. 

All the Tigers girls were able to get some runs to their name although weren’t able to do great damage on the scoreboard, finishing up their innings with 49 runs. 

Jess Thorne was a standout for the hosts, finding her way to 10 including dispatching the ball to the boundary for four. 

Gracie Sanders was the best with the ball for Koony’. 

In reply, the visitors got past the Tigers’ total with ease, led by the opening partnership of Kathy Zacharopoulos with 25 (including five fours) and Kylie Collins with 16 (hitting two fours herself). 

Denise Sanders kept their run going, whacking two fours on her way to 17. 

Koonwarra L/RSL ended up finishing with a great total of 128 without losing a wicket, winning the match by 10-wickets. 

They’ll face off with Inverloch in round two, while Foster will face their fellow Tigers in Foster Black. 

Kilcunda-Bass White v Longwarry

Unfortunately, the result and stats from this match were not provided. 

Holly Hat-Trick!

By Aiden Box

INVERLOCH Cricket Club has a new bowling sensation who provided a performance for the history books on the weekend. 

Holly Williams pulled off a very rare cricketing feat in the Stingrays’ big win over MDU in the under 15s on Saturday. 

Chasing 106 for victory the young Demons couldn’t believe what had hit them when Holly went wicket, wicket, wicket, that’s right a hat trick!

What is even more impressive is each of her three consecutive wickets were clean bowled!

And she was barely centimetres off a fourth in a row.

The talented Stingray has really found her groove out in the middle of late, training with Gippsland Pride and earning selection in the squad for the upcoming tournament this summer. 

Thanks to Holly’s heroics and an excellent all-round team performance, Inverloch was able to win the match comfortably, to the tune of 72-runs, Holly also made 5 not out earlier in the day and finished with 3/1 from her two overs with the ball, an incredible game! 

She’ll hope to work more of her magic this weekend when the Stingrays host Phillip Island at the Inverloch Recreation Reserve.