In a practice run ahead of their semi-final next Sunday, Echuca built valuable momentum over Rochester in Goulburn Murray Cricket’s Women’s competition.
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Both sides were locked into second and third position, and knew going into the game that they were set for a rematch seven days later.
After winning the toss, Echuca sent Rochester in, and the home side found scoring difficult on its home of Windridge Oval.
Rochy ticked the scoreboard over at just under three an over as it accumulated an innings of 9-104.
Harriet East was the standout with the bat, originally retiring after hitting the 35-ball limit, before returning to complete her stay with 23 from 54 balls.
Hayley Broucek also hit double figures, making 11, while the rest of the order chipped in where they could against the Echuca attack.
Gillian Noelker stood tall with the ball, particularly dangerous early as she kept Rochy off balance with 5-12 from six overs.
Sophie Good snared 2-8 and Zoe Cook 2-19 as the other wicket-takers.
A total of 104 wasn’t a huge mountain to climb for Echuca, but the visitors made the middling total look easy, making the runs in 18.2 overs, and without loss.
Gillian Noelker (24) and Kate Carlile (15) started proceedings, both retiring unbeaten, before Sophie Good (18 not out) and Jessica Cox (27 not out) took up the cause to finish off the chase.
Rochy tried out seven different bowlers, but none were able to make the crucial breakthrough.
The side will now look to regroup, having only seven days to find a way to turn this result around or face elimination in the semi-final, while Echuca will look for more of the same with both seasons on the line.
BLU vs Moama
BLU needed a very specific set of results to go its way in order to make finals, but a seven-wicket defeat to Moama ended the Lions’ season.
Sent in by the Mowers, BLU was dismissed for just 52, the minor premier’s bowlers firing on all cylinders.
Amy Fitzgerald (14) made the best innings for the Lions, while Liz Chapman (10) was the only other batter to reach double figures.
Madilyn Van Poeteren (2-5), Jordan Dalziel (2-9) and Olivia Davy (2-9) each took two wickets to lead Moama.
BLU made a few valuable breakthroughs, but Moama had the batting to find its way to the total in 11 overs.
Captain Delaney Laffy provided an early blitz of 22 from 16 balls, while Mia Arthurson anchored the effort at the top, making 13 not out.
Ruby Brentnall found two wickets for BLU, while Amy Fitzgerald took the other.
The Lions finish the season in sixth, while Moama heads into a semi-final against fourth-ranked Katamatite on Sunday.
Cooma vs Katamatite
In a tough outing to conclude its season, Cooma went down to a motivated Katamitite.
For the Tigers the equation was win and make finals, and the importance of the occasion drove Katty to a powerful bowling performance after it sent Cooma in.
Sienna Brennan was the only Cooma batter to reach double figures, ending unbeaten on 14, but after brief resistance from the top order, the tail dropped off quickly — the final five batters finishing without score.
Cooma was dismissed for 38, Katamatite’s Christina Roberts leading the bowling effort with 4-7, while Hayley Hendrie added 2-7 and Matilda Iddles 1-16.
Although the target was small, the Cooma attack put in a good shift and had the Tigers on the rocks at times.
Iddles was the only Katamatite batter to hit double digits, making 11, while Cooma snagged five wickets to keep things competitive.
The Tigers had to work hard to inch their way over the line and secure the five-wicket win.
Brennan followed up her strong batting with 3-11, while Sophie McDonald 1-11 and Maddisyn Cooper 1-6 also grabbed wickets.
Cooma bows out of 2025-26 without a win to its name.
While its bowling unit was comparable to the rest of the league statistically, the side found the going tough with the bat throughout, accumulating 270 fewer team runs than its closest rival.