Western Districts go three from three in the Women’s Grade Competition thanks to their young stars, and they and Eastlake remain the only unbeaten sides after the opening three rounds. While in Men’s Premier Cricket, the first section of two-day cricket wrapped up, with the coloured gear taking over through to Christmas.
Ginninderra started promisingly at Kaleen Oval against Wests, but the loss of their top order at 3/69 proved the start of their undoing.
Annabelle Harrison took her first wickets in the Tigers’ middle order and finished with an impressive 6-32 from 7.5 overs, as Ginninderra lost 8/39 and their last six for 12 bowled out for 108 inside 32 overs.
In reply, Wests lost their only wicket early in the chase before Madison Malcolm (20no) and Brie Dillon (77no from 31 balls) put on an unbeaten 92-run partnership to steer their side home by nine wickets in just 13 overs and jump to the top of the standings.
Dillon is in a proper vein of form with the bat – this was her third fifty in as many innings in the last week, one of them coming in last Sunday’s North v South game at Chisholm.
Elsewhere, ANU got home by four wickets in 20 overs at O’Connor after Lillian Harrison (4-15) and Aisling Visser-Connolly (3-10) helped bowl Queanbeyan out for 70.
And Tuggeranong enjoyed a 42-run win over Weston Creek-Molonglo at Brad Haddin Oval in Queanbeyan.
The ‘Creek gave themselves a chance after bowling Tuggies out for 153 in the 37th over, but lost skipper Kate Lussick second ball in the run chase and never really recovered after losing their first five wickets for 19.
Tuggeranong had six different wicket-takers on their way bowling Weston Creek-Molonglo out for 111 in the final over.
The tables were reversed in Men’s 1st Grade however, with the ‘Creek winning by 91 runs after they bowled Tuggeranong out for 163 on a tricky deck at Stirling.
All six of Weston Creek-Molonglo’s bowlers claimed a scalp in the win, which has the defending Douglas Cup Premiers in top spot after three rounds.
They’re joined on 18 points by the also unbeaten ANU, who claimed a remarkable four-run win over Queanbeyan in the second-last over of a high-scoring match at ANU North.
The Bluebags were on track to chase down the Students’ 289, with ACT Comets allrounder Tyler van Luin the final wicket to fall, for 103, in their 101st over.
Following his unbeaten 159 with the bat on Day 1, offspinner Lachie Simpson combined with Pathways product and legspinner Jake Smith (3-70) to bowl ANU to victory. Simpson finishing with 4-65 and the final wicket of van Luin in what has been an excellent start to the season after relocating from Western Australia to study in Canberra.
Ginninderra added another 64 to their overnight total at Jamison, before declaring at 9/272 and sending Wests in to more than eighty overs available to claim first innings points.
But the Lions innings got off to rocky start losing Peter Guthrie second ball, and falling to 3-23 and then 6-44, and still 228 runs behind.
Skipper Scott Murn combined with Xavier Broers to add 64 for the seventh wicket, but Murn falling for 72 as the eighth wicket proved the last line of resistance, Wests bowled out for 170 in their 50th over.
And at Keith Tournier Memorial in Ainslie, North Canberra Gungahlin‘s Gen Casarotto was left stranded on 92no as they were bowled out for 278 in 104 overs, and with Nick Kent finished with 4-51.
In reply, Eastlake lost both openers cheaply, and from there it was a case of handy starts left unconverted, losing regular wickets throughout to eventually be bowled out for 201.
Norths skipper Nick Wood finished with 5-53, as the Eagles claimed their first competition points for the summer.
This weekend coming is a busy one for the male Grade comps, with the first one-day games of 2023/2024 on Saturday followed by two Twenty20s on Sunday.
Lower grade standouts:
- It was all the My burghs for Weston Creek-Molonglo 2nd Grade at Chisholm, Josh and Sam taking five wickets between them as they bowled Tuggeranong out for 188, for the ‘Creek to post a 222-run win and sit unbeaten on top of the 2nd Grade ladder.
- Queanbeyan 3rd Grade had six different wicket takers as they rolled ANU for 119, also claiming a 222-run win to hold top spot in the standings.
- Ginninderra bowler Dinesh Chovatiya finished with 10 wickets for the match against Wests at Aranda, taking 5-43 in the second innings to go with his 5-21 in the first. The Tigers bowled Wests out for 138 second time around, but ran out of time to claim the outright win, finishing the second day 3/27 from just four overs.
- Eastlake opening bat Dominic Little made 104 as the Demons claimed a three-wicket first innings win over Norths at Harrison.
- In 4th Grade, 14-year-old Wests batter Angus Ronald finished 44no from a remarkable 288 balls, a patient innings that allowed his side to hang on for a draw against Ginninderra at Reid.
- And Eastlake claimed their second win of the season, chasing down Norths’ 9dec/300 with one wicket in hand and one player short.
Article by Brett McKay
Image: Annabelle Harrison and Brie Dillon post-match, thanks to Western District Cricket Club