By Lachlan Onions
NORTH SPORTSMAN’S 4/140 d MIL LEL 6/44
MOUNT Gambier had its first taste of women’s cricket for the season when Mil Lel and North Sportsman’s clashed at Frew Park on Sunday.
With overcast conditions and a green wicket, the hosts won the toss and sent the Tigers in to bat first in the T20 encounter.
However, despite the conditions, which were ideal for the bowlers, North Sportman’s took control of the game from the off.
Openers Emma Braun and Chelsea Gabriel formed a strong partnership at the top of the order and laid down the foundations for a strong performance.
Gabriel put the foot down early and batted with intent as she scored boundaries at regular intervals.
After a dominant first 10 overs, the Tigers went into the drinks break at 0-61.
However, Mil Lel soon hit back and Julie Smith bowled Gabriel for 39 runs off 37 delivers, a stint which included an impressive six 4’s.
Smith claimed her second spell later in the same over when she bowled Braun for 18 runs.
After the fall of both openers in the same over, Laura Chester and Fiona Young took over at the crease and continued to score at the same rate.
Chester was adjudged LBW in at the end of the 15th over but she had already done the damage, with 29 runs off 18 deliveries.
Alysha Coon came to the crease and looked to hold her wicket while Young kept the runs flowing.
Young scored 33 runs off 21 balls and hit six boundaries before she was bowled by Victoria Radley on the penultimate ball of the innings.
Smith was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts with 2/11 off two overs.
It did not take long for the Tigers to assert their authority with the ball as Georgia Little was given out LBW for one run on just the fourth ball of the innings.
Coon claimed the second wicket of the inning when Peterson was adjudged LBW for a duck on the final ball of the second over to leave the hosts at 2/4.
The wickets continued to tumble in the fifth over when Chester dismissed Radley and Julie Smith in consecutive deliveries.
Kristie McPherson was then dismissed in the eighth over for a duck after she was bowled by Young.
Mil Lel’s sixth wicket to fall came in the ninth over when Jaimee Smith was bowled by Jaimee Smith.
Niamh Leishman and Georgia Quick were next at the crease and stayed in until the end of the innings but were unable to score at the same rate which the Tigers did and the visitors claimed an emphatic 96-run win.
Chester was North Sportsman’s best bowler as she picked up three scalps for just 13 runs off for overs.
The clash between Naracoorte and Bordertown was called off due to the wet weather.
