GRAMPIANS has won the first senior premiership of the 2022-23 season, after claiming the Hamilton and District Women’s Cricket Association A grade title at Melville Oval on Sunday.
The Pumas were emphatic in their play after winning the toss and electing to bat first on a wicket that had already had the B grade grand final played on it.
The Pumas suffered an early loss of wicket when Grace Potter was bowled for only seven as Lauren Sharrock made the breakthrough.
From there though Hamilton were chasing leather, as Olivia Read and Emma Jackson struck shots all around the ground, as the score mounted quickly.
Jackson was the first to retire, reaching 35, as she struck her runs from only 28 balls to give the side the fast start it needed.
It was Read who batted on to secure the Pumas a strong total, retired with 35 against her name there by ensuring the side posted a strong total of 3-119 from the allotted overs.
Lucy Fraser (13) scored at run-a-ball pace to help Read post the total, while Hamilton was well served by Bonnie Gleeson (1-19) and Mikaylah Sharrock (1-15) with the ball.
The entire Hamilton attack bowled well - it’s just that Grampians kept finding the gaps in the field.
Hamilton was kept at bay with the bat in the early overs, as the Pumas dropped onto a diligent line and length quickly and the wickets came for Read, grabbing the prized scalps of Sophie Walker (five) and Elle Guthrie (four).
Read bowled Walker and then had Fraser stump the dangerous Guthrie to slow the Blues innings to a near halt, as the side reached the halfway point with 3-31 on the board.
With 10 runs an over required, Hamilton needed to drastically increase the run rate, but smart field placement and great fielding saw Grampians allow no mare than one run per ball.
Ella Jackson starred with the ball, taking four wickets for only four runs, as she ran through the Hamilton lower order, with only Gleeson (22) and Lauren Sharrock (13-not-out) offering resistance.
Once Gleeson was dismissed, the innings lost all momentum and Hamilton batted out its allotted overs to finish on 7-64 to hand the title to the Pumas.
Read was named Player of the Match.
Grampians had a tense victory against Pigeon Ponds at Dunkeld Turf on Friday evening, winning through to the grand final.
The Pumas won the toss and elected to bat first with Grace Potter and Read both reaching an automatic retirement score of 36, as the team posted a defendable tally of 1-113.
Pigeon Ponds replied with 5-107 thanks to Eliza Jagger (40-retired-not-out) striking four boundaries and a massive maximum.
Hamilton defeated women’s competition powerhouse, Casterton District, with 4-140 to earn a spot in the decider.
Gleeson (38-retired-not-out) and Guthrie (35-retired-not-out) dominated the Maroons attack, while Casterton District was restricted to 1-110 in reply, as Claire Widdicombe and Jacqui Robinson each retired-not-out with 35 next to their name.
B Grade
ST Andrew’s entered the HDWCA B grade grand final at Melville Oval knowing Macarthur was vastly experienced at this time of the season, having won the A grade grand final last season.
Macarthur won the toss and chose to send St Andrew’s to the crease on the turf wicket and the decision paid dividends, as the first three batswomen all fell without scoring.
Sarah Cassidy dismissed Sharnah Malseed, before trapping Danielle Van Kalken in front of her stumps to leave the Drews at 2-2 after the first over.
Leah Drendel took the new ball with Cassidy, and she too had a wicket in her first over, as Chelsea Kearnes was dismissed without scoring, and at 3-2 it looked all over for the Drews.
Enter Bec Van Kalken, who had to play a captain’s knock if her team was going to post a score the bowlers could defend.
Having lost the three early wickets wasn’t ideal, but the positive to come from it was that the side still had plenty of overs from which to score.
Van Kalken and Alicia Eats combined well to take the attack to the bowlers and play their natural attacking strokes with the score quickly mounting.
Van Kalken retired not out on 35 after striking six boundaries in her 26-ball innings, while Eats was bowled for 26 with 74 on the board.
The final score of 6-107 was outstanding after the start the team made, as Cassidy was the pick of the Macarthur bowlers with 2-13.
When the Demons came to bat, Alicia Eats made the huge breakthrough by bowling Drendel for only 13, but Cassidy and Ashley Brilley (18) combined for a 61-run partnership for the second wicket that took the Demons to 82 at the end of the 15th over.
Cassidy had to retire on 35 the next ball, before losing the wickets of Sophie Taylor (zero) and Nikayla Purcell (one) to leave the innings in tatters at 4-87 which ended up being the final tally.
Cassidy was named the player of the match.
St Andrew’s defeated reigning B grade premier, Byaduk, in a tense B grade semi-final at Pedrina Park 1 with the top order all dominating, as Kearnes (21), Malseed (27), Eats (19-not-out) and Danielle (24) all batting well to record 3-105.
In reply Byaduk battled hard to retain their crown, but fell short of the target with 4-92, as Katelyn Millard struck 31 for the Ducks.
Reigning A grade premiers, Macarthur proved to be far too strong for Tarrington in the other B grade semi-final, as the Demons hunted down the Tigers score of 3-101, inside the allotted overs with 1-107.