Vice-captains Gillian Noelker and Jordan Dalziel are hoping to help their respective sides to victory in the GMCW grand final on Sunday. Photo: Jordan Townrow.
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Jordan Townrow
The new-look Goulburn Murray Cricket Women’s competition has reached its final frontier, and Echuca and Moama are the two sides to have risen above the rest.
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After each winning through semi-finals last Sunday, the local sides are set to renew their cross-river rivalry, with the premiership on the line at Moama Recreation Reserve on Sunday.
The season
Moama came into the year after a strong 2024-25 campaign that saw it just miss finals on the last day of the regular season.
The youthful Mowers line-up had a rocky start to its year, dropping two of its first three fixtures, but turned the corner from then on, reeling off eight straight wins over the remainder of the regular season.
Of note, the first four rounds of the season were 20-over fixtures, while the remainder of the season was played over 35 overs, the Moama squad undefeated in the longer format, which will be played on grand final day.
Coach Paul Arthurson said his side has continued to build consistency over the past two years, the Mowers women’s outfit only rejoining the league for 2024-25.
“Two years with a similar squad, everyone sticking together, and then we train two nights a week trying to improve all aspects of our game,” he said.
“I think it's paid off. We're a lot more consistent this year and more consistent across the board as well.
“We try and bat all the way through and we've got plenty of bowling options too now, which is great.”
Echuca had a similar campaign, suffering each of its three defeats by round nine, before heading into the finals on a five-match winning streak.
With Victoria Park under development, the side established a temporary home at Tongala Recreation Reserve for the season.
Captain Jessica Cox said she was both surprised and proud of her team’s performance this year.
“Early on some of our results, particularly our first game against Katamatite at Tongala, we probably didn’t perform as well as we would have hoped,” she said.
“We lost probably three or four key players from last year, and then we’ve replaced them with some young people and we’ve really built up their skills.
“To see them improve as much as they have over the last few months, it’s been really exciting actually.
“I’m so thrilled for everybody, but those girls in particular, that we’ve been able to make the grand final from where we started at the start of the season.”
Finishing in second position, Echuca took on Rochester in the semi-final, while minor premier Moama battled Katamatite.
Echuca vs Rochester
Coming in with confidence after beating Rochy the previous week by 10 wickets, Echuca had a much closer fight on its hands in the semi-final.
Rochester sent Echuca in and it quickly became one for the bowlers at Windridge Oval, with Echuca 3-16 early on.
Captain Cox (33 from 33) helped steady things alongside Amy Cooper (14), the pair getting the total to 60, but when both fell within 12 balls, Echuca’s prospects declined once again.
The lower-order looked to hold out, but the side was all out for 85.
Keeley Major led the way for the Rochester attack, taking 3-14.
Rochester’s chase was in the balance throughout.
While Cadence Major was at the crease, things looked to be advancing well, but her retirement at the balls limit triggered a downturn.
Cadence Major and Alyssa Braithwaite, who had also previously retired, returned with their side on the brink at 9-54, but very nearly got Rochester home.
Rochy came within two runs of Echuca’s total, before Lucinda McMaster-Sharrock iced the game, removing Braithwaite and ending the innings at 83.
Lucinda McMaster-Sharrock is hoisted by teammates after taking the wicket that sent Echuca through to the final by two runs. Photo: Echuca Cricket Club.
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Cox was full of praise for McMaster-Sharrock ahead of the decider.
“Her development has been phenomenal from where she started with us at the start of the season,” Cox said.
“For her to get that wicket in the last over, I couldn’t have written the script any better myself.
“It was just the best thing to see a player who has come so far basically get us through to the grand final.
“I don't think she quite understood straight away the gravity of how important it was, but her performances and her improvement’s been phenomenal.”
Major was left stranded with an unbeaten 39, while Gillian Noelker took a game-best 4-11.
Moama vs Katamatite
Moama had an easier time in its semi, accounting for Katamatite by 103 runs.
Batting first, the Mowers made scores up and down the order.
Opening pair Delaney Laffy (35) and Mia Arthurson (15) both retired unbeaten, as did Jordan Dalziel (26) further down the order.
The likes of Olivia Davy (26), Isla Laffy (24 not out) and Beatrix Bray (18) all chipped in to a complete batting performance that saw Moama post 5-184 from its 35 overs.
Layla Harrison was Katamatite’s best with the ball, taking 2-21.
Moama captain Delaney Laffey leads the GMCW this year with 346 runs at a ridiculous average of 115.33. Photo: Matthew Kappos.
Moama mirrored its balanced batting with an equally consistent bowling attack, with four different players grabbing two wickets.
Dalziel, Arthurson, Sadie Laffy and Madilyn Van Poeteren each grabbed two scalps. Arthurson’s miserly 2-6 from 5.5 overs was the most economical performance.
Katamatite made a decent 3-50 start, but the Mowers turned it on in the middle overs, rolling through the Tigers for 85.
“(The squad’s) thrilled to be in a grand final,” Arthurson said.
“Our aim at the start of the season was to make the finals, so being in the grand final is excellent.
“We’ve obviously got a young team, so it’s certainly a big event for these guys, which is great.”
The final
Echuca and Moama faced off only once this season, after round two was washed out on October 26.
Echuca’s batters struggled to get going in the round nine meeting, dismissed for 63, resulting in an eight-wicket win for the Mowers.
Arthurson was cautious not to put too much stock in that result, Moama’s only win over Echuca since returning to the competition last season.
“Echuca obviously are a really good team, got a lot of experience, and they’re coming in with red-hot form as well, so I’ve got no doubt it’s going to be a really tight game between the two of us,” he said.
“They’ve been in from the start of the competition probably 10 or 12 years ago and still got players in that team, so they’re bringing a lot of experience, and we bring the youth, so it’s going to be a bit of a competition between the two.
“We know each other on and off the field pretty well.
“We're good friends off the field, but it’ll be a good rivalry when we get on to the cricket pitch, that’s for sure.”
Cox was equally respectful of the opposition’s quality.
“They’ve got some really good talent in their side, and they've worked really hard as well to develop themselves throughout the year, so they're also just been getting better and better,” she said.
“They’ll be strong, they’ll be tough. We have to do the basics right and well, bowl a tight line and then with the bat pick your gaps, pick the balls to hit and then respect the good balls.
“There’ll be a lot of enthusiasm from them, so I expect a tough battle just like it was the first time we played them (and hopefully) we can just do our basics right and better and get the win.”
The GMCW grand final will begin at 10am on Sunday, March 1, at Moama Recreation Reserve.
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