School Sport Victoria - Sandhurst Division

On a stunning Spring day, Term 4 Sport began with the Intermediate Girls Cricket Competition at the Mercy Junortoun Sporting Precinct ovals on Wednesday 8 October.

With five teams in the competition, the results of each game would determine how teams would progress through the rounds.

In Game 1, the CMCB team played Crusoe College in what turned out to be a thrilling match. The girls bowled first and did a great job restricting the talented Crusoe lineup to 67 runs off 13 overs, with Dempsey McDonnell, Layla O’Brien, Maddy White and Lexie Fennell all taking wickets. Mia Behrens (4) and Zara Mould (22*) started well with the bat and set a good foundation, taking quick singles and putting the pressure on the fielders. Maddy White (25*) then joined Zara at the crease as they batted brilliantly together to tick over the 68th run in the last over to secure the win. It was a great start to the day.

Game 2 saw the girls play Marist College Bendigo. This match was played in great spirits, as many of the opposition were new to the game. Marist batted first and made 44 runs in the allotted time, as all CMCB girls bowled at least 1 over. The girls were then clinical with the bat as Lexie Fennell, Dempsey McDonnell, Macey Pinner, and Chella Fitzgerald got the job done, reaching the target in just 8 overs.

These two wins secured the girls a spot in the final which just happened to be against Crusoe once again. However, this time around, Crusoe brought a new intensity and batted with flair as they raced to a score of 76 off 11 overs. With a massive total to chase, the girls started slowly, losing a quick wicket; however, Mia Behrens (8) was steady at the crease and formed a good partnership with Maddy White (22) as they set about chasing down the total. Macey Pinner (2) and Layla O’Brien (21) then added valuable runs and helped the team close in on the target. Sadly, the girls fell just short of the total required, finishing on 5/72.

It was a terrific effort by all.

The girls finished the day as runners-up and should be very proud of their efforts and the way they played and supported each other across all games played.

Special thanks to Callan Orr and Sienna Barnett for umpiring and scoring, and Mikayla Gladman for running the scoreboard. Your help was invaluable and appreciated.

Sienna Barnett, Mikayla Gladman, Mia Behrens, Rania Jackson-Leahy, Lexie Fennell, Zoe Reynolds, Madeline White, Callan Orr (umpire), Dempsey McDonnell, Macey Pinner, Bella Cail, Zara Mould, Layla O’Brien, Ty-Rae Warren, Chella Fitzgerld