NORTH WEST girls cricket coach Ryan Whitton was a very happy man on Thursday afternoon.
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You’d be mistaken to think his side had just won their last game of the tournament – North West had gone down in a nail-biter – but having three girls named in the NSW CHS second XI side had Whitton pleased as punch.
“We lost by a couple but three girls are into the state seconds team,” Whitton said shortly after North West’s final match of the tournament.
Oxley High School pair Deni Baker and Lara Graham alongside Gunnedah High School’s Zoe Fleming will all line up for further representative honours next week.
The selections come after North West’s performance at the NSW CHS Girls Carnival in the Hawkesbury area.
North West registered two wins and two losses at the four-day carnival and coach Whitton couldn’t have been happier with the way the players performed.
“They were very unlucky in some cases, with the draws and washouts, but overall they performed above what was expected,” Whitton said.
“They are a great bunch of girls, too, and their attitudes were great.
“They were so supporting and encouraging.”
The side started it’s campaign with a nail-biter against Sydney North.
The opener was won by North West as the girls defended 80 runs.
Fleming starred with a top score of 21 with the bat before bowling the final over of the game.
She claimed two wickets in that over – there was also two run-outs – to win by one run.
The second day didn’t go to plan as North West were easily beaten by Sydney South West.
However, the side bounced back against Riverina.
First of all, North West put in an all-round bowling performance as Baker (3-6), Graham (1-8), Katarina McEwin (1-7), Chloe Johnson (1-10) and Claire McGuirk (2-17) shared the wickets around.
In reply, Alyssa Ford scored 38 while Fleming (43*) and Graham (40*) both remained not out as North West cruised past Riverina’s score.
The final game of the tournament against North Coast finished like the first – a close one.
North Coast racked up 3-156 before North West started their chase.
Another brilliant display by Fleming (43) and Graham (40*) was impressive but North West just fell short with 7-153 on the board.
The side finished eighth at the carnival.
