Inverell’s Claire Lennon looks to drive this ball for runs. Lennon had a good weekend with bat and ball for the Central North U15s. Photo: Josh Heard Daily Liberal Dubbo.
CENTRAL North enjoyed Country Women’s Championship success with its composite opens side at Wellington yesterday.
The combined Central North-North Coast side shared the spoils with the New Coasters after their final finished in a tie.
Wee Waa’s Tayla Gilmore was the hero with her final delivery dot ball leaving New Coasters on 9-137 in reply to the Northern Stars’ 137.
They had picked up a run-out the ball before in a tense final over from which New Coasters needed seven.
Singleton’s Maisey Gibson again starred with the ball, snaring her second five-wicket haul for the day. She was on a hat-trick at one point.
Her efforts saw her named the player of the final and in the merit side selected from the weekend.
Central North’s 15s also performed well in their championships at Dubbo, just missing out on the final by a point.
They won two out of their three games but, on the bonus point system used at the championships, were just pipped for a top two spot.
“We had to get two bonus points to make the final,' Central North coach John Rixon said. “We got one.”
The bonus point system awarded extra points to the team that scored the most singles and bowled the most maidens.
“We just missed out by allowing the opposition to score six singles,” Rixon said.
They won the game, with New Coasters only able to manage 79 in reply to their 6-109 and ended up finishing third after successfully chasing in their play-off game against North Coastal.
Captain Khiarni Cornish (Narrabri) led the run chase with an unbeaten 35.
She was there at the end, with Gunnedah’s Laura Avard (15 no) as they reached North Coastal’s 9-86.
Inverell’s Kate Lennon also chipped in with 19 while with the ball, Tamworth’s Rhiannon Graham bagged 3-18, Claire Lennon 2-12, Avard 1-10 and Kirsten Smith (Scone) 1-14.
Earlier Graham top-scored with 36 while Cornish made 22.
They were also Central North’s top scorers in their Saturday afternoon Twenty20 loss to Illawarra/Southern, with Cornish hitting 25 and Graham 21.
Illawarra/Southern chased down the runs off the second last ball, reaching 6-114 in reply to 4-112.
Earlier against North Coastal they posted 7-107 off their 35 overs with Claire Lennon unbeaten on 16, sister Sarah scoring 15 and Nell Gibson 10.
Gibson was also in the wickets as Central North dismissed North Coastal for 79.
She took 2-7, Smith 3-12 and Samara Davidson 2-8.
“The girls have been brilliant,” Rixon said.
“I can’t fault anyone of them.”
He said it had been a real team effort and several of them had caught the eyes of Country selectors.
Graham would have stated a good case to them after scoring runs the two opportunities she got during the round games.
“Rhiannon and Khiarni batted in two partnerships where their running between the wickets was fantastic,” Rixon said.
Graham’s ability to drop the ball at her feet and run earnt a lot of runs.
Smith opened the bowling in two of the games and did well, Rixon said.
Gibson and Claire Lennon also performed well with the ball, while Lennon batted beautifully in the first game.
The opens secured their finals spot with a 66-run win over Southern Rivers yesterday morning.
On the back of a half-century to Jenny Taffs, they posted 6-131 and then rolled the Southerners for 66, with Gibson taking 5-9.
Gilmore and Gunnedah’s Jordan Lumby each snared a wicket.
They started their campaign with a 57-run win over
Western.
After amassing 1-184 of which Taffs scored 93, they restricted the hosts to 5-127 in reply.
Lumby and Gibson both picked up wickets, with Gibson also helping effect two run-outs.
They followed that with a 15-run loss to the New Coasters.
Chasing 8-109, they were bowled out for 94 in the final over.
Gibson was again among the wickets. Narrabri’s Shelley Higgins also took 1-21.