NEMINGHA has the side to go all the way in this year’s State Schools Girls Cricket Knockout after wiping the floor with the competition so far.
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The girls played a quarter- final against Mullumbimby last Monday and looked like they were in a bit of trouble for the first time this year.
Batting first, the school’s big guns, Lara Graham and Sofia Arranz, were both dismissed early.
Coach David Lewis said it was the first time the two girls had been out in the four games played so far.
Mullumbimby had Nemingha at 3-20 before the Bellas took over.
Bella Collier and Bella Cameron came to the crease and put together a game- changing 61-run partnership.
The side finished at 5-99 off the 25 overs.
The girls didn’t need to worry as Collier hadn’t finished starring in the middle.
Opening the bowling, Collier and Graham had the visitors at 7-10 after seven overs.
Collier finished with five wickets which included a hat-trick.
Graham finished with two wickets for no runs off three overs as the Mullumbimby side slumped to be all out for just 25.
The Nemingha girls are in Maitland today for the finals.
They will play Charlestown East in the morning and hopefully play in the final this afternoon.
The other sides are Pennant Hills and Blayney.
“We have got a crack team this year,” Lewis said.
“We have four in Year Six and all four played for North West.”
The side relies heavily on Lara Graham, who is arguably one of the best 12- year-old cricketers in the country and has represented NSW.
“Lara has been to four state carnivals this year alone in different sports,” Lewis said.
“She has been as far as she can go at cricket.”
Safia Arranz, Bella Collier and Maya Olrich make up the other North West players.
“It is a great side that we have seen coming through the years,” Lewis said.
The side bowled Tamworth Public out for 46 in the first match, before embarrassing Tenterfield’s Sir Henry Parkes school, all out for just 33.
In both games, Graham and Arranz hit the runs unbeaten.
Narrabri West then scored 96 against them a fortnight later, again the side replying to the score unbeaten in the 16th over. Graham retired at the mandatory 40 while Arranz and Collier hit the winning runs.
Lewis has set a target of 125 runs with the bat and wants to limit the other sides to 100.
