Flames win women’s title

By Rohan Aldous

Feb 6, 2022

Premiers: (Back) Bella Sefton, Mia Elliott, Georgia Ross (c), Emma Hill, Ella Hooper, Marissa Hooper, Sienna Brennan, (front) Jaz Greiner, Lara Hooper, Sienna Johnstone, Ava Pell, Tori Walsh. Absent is Jess O’Neill (vice captain) and coach Wayne O’Neill.

Pace attack: Bamawm-Lockington United’s bowling attack had a difficult task against Echuca in Sunday’s A-grade round of Goulburn Muray matches, but Amy Fitzgerald (above left), Veronica McLeod (above left), Kaylah Lear and Jessica Cox stuck to their task in the 52-run loss.

Kyabram Fire Brigade is the premier of the Riverside Concrete Cutting Murray Goulburn Cricket Association women’s B-grade competition.

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The Kyabram team kept Echuca to 7-37 at the end of its 20 overs at Victoria Park on Sunday, then proceeded to not lose a wicket in the run chase.

It took Fire Briagde just 10 overs to real in the tally as captain Georgia Ross and fellow opener Sienna Johnstone retired to allow Mia Elliott and Tori Walsh to hit the winning runs.

Johnstone was not out 16 from her 25 deliveries and Ross was nine from her 25 balls before she surrendered the opportunity to Elliott and Walsh.

Kyabram Fire Brigade was the dominant team in the competition throughout the season and was fittingly rewarded with the title.

In the Echuca innings the most productive partnership came late when 18 runs were added for the seventh wicket.

Zoe Dannatt and Holly Smith were the top scorers in the innings as Mia Elliott matched her efforts with the bat by taking two wickets from her four overs.

Lara Hooper, Ava Pell and Jasmine Greiner also took a wicket as the Echuca innings came to an end with a total of 37.

The winning Kyabram Fire Brigade team was: Sienna Johnstone, Tori Walsh, Georgia Ross (captain), Marissa Hooper, Lara Hooper, Ava Pell, Isabella Sefton, Sienna Brennan, Jasmine Greiner, Mia Elliott, Emma Hill. Coach Wayne O’Neill.

Echuca’s grand final team was Jordan Dalziel, Jodie Jones, Lotti Waterson, Zoe Dannatt, Holly Smith, Caitlin McKee, Chloe Moyle, Marli Hollamby, Yalti Jones, Matilda Smith, Melissa Ferguson. Coach Jon Varcoe.

∎ In the A-grade match that followed it was a 52-run win for Echuca against Bamawm Lockington United.

Sharon Henson’s 30 ball innings netted an even 30 runs to set the tone for the Echuca innings, in reply to the 9-55 total set by BLU.

Gillian Noelker (11 from 26 deliveries), Pauline Sleeman (12 from 16 delveries) and Delaney Laffy (13 from 24 deliveries) were cast in supporting roles as Echuca amassed 5-107 from 20 overs.

Jada Bover was the pick of the bowlers for BLU.

She took 2-11 from her three overs, supported by Amy Fitzgerald and Emily Holgate, who each took one wicket.

Bree Styles was not out nine at the end of the BLU innings, top scoring for her team as the innings came to a close at 7-55 after 20 overs.

Jess Cox scored seven from eight deliveries in support, while Kayla Moon was not out five when the innings closed.

Of the Echuca bowlers Danielle Garden was a stand out, her four overs including three maidens and returning figures of 3-1.

Isla Laffy took two wickets in her opening spell of four overs and Delaney Laffy backed up what she did with the bat by taking two wickets with the ball.

Next week is the final round of home and away competition in the A-grade competition and Echuca is pitted against Leitchville-Gunbower.

Shepparton-Youth Club and Beechworth Wanderers occupy the top two rungs of the competition and look set to play out the grand final in two weeks.

By Rohan Aldous

Contributor