Metropolitan East won their first Queensland School Sport 10-12 Years Girls Cricket Championships grand final at Bundaberg on Wednesday.
THURSDAY UPDATE: Metropolitan East were in a class of their own, powering to 10-wicket victory over Sunshine Coast with almost 23 overs to spare in the Queensland School Sport 10-12 Years Girls Cricket Championships grand final at Salter Oval yesterday, and giving the Region their first title in the 17-year history of this competition.
The star-studded Met East made it seven wins from as many championships matches over the four days, bowling Sunshine Coast out for just 85 well inside their allotted 40 overs.
They then also oozed class and confidence with the bat, losing just one wicket for the third game in a row and reaching their target in 17.2 overs.
Coach Michael Hutchinson, who has been trying for “quite a few years” to win this trophy, said every one of his players contributed in a magnificent team performance throughout the tournament.
Such was their dominance, they lost a total of just 20 wickets while amassing 781 runs across the carnival, while claiming 66 wickets in conceding only 406 runs.
Many of his team have the potential to go on and play at WBBL, state and international level down the track.
Sunshine Coast’s only other loss at the event was also at the hands of Met East in round 1 on Sunday, when they managed only 61 while Met East showed their hand by racking up what was to be their tournament high of 4-147.
Sunshine Coast did not go home empty-handed as they received the Runners-up Trophy, and they could hold their heads very high.
Metropolitan West, who had been soundly beaten by Sunshine Coast in the semi-finals on Tuesday, bounced back to claim third place with a 10-wicket dispatch of Northern Invitational, who were unable to regroup after winning their first four games but then lost both games on Tuesday, including being battered and beaten by Met East in their semi.
Capricornia claimed fifth with a 42-run triumph over Darling Downs, while Wide Bay also finished on a high, clinching seventh with an eight-wicket win over South Coast, and Met North accounted for South West to wind up ninth.
Wide Bay finished with three wins and four losses for the championships and team manager Brett McLellan, of Bundaberg, said their seventh placing was a “huge effort with only 10 and a half players”.
“We had one girl go home sick after only playing 2 days, while another girl Atalia Knight (Cordalba State School) injured her shoulder on Tuesday but continued to field with her left arm only for the rest of the day and again (yesterday) – she is a tough girl,” Mr McLellan said.
“Performers of note against South Coast included Baylie Hutton (Isis District SHS) with 3 wickets and 21 not out in a superb double, Raine Eastcott (Mundubbera SS) with 41 not out, and Abby Stevens (St John’s Lutheran School Bundaberg) with 23 – openers Abby and Ella Reece (Cordalba SS) got us off to a flying start with 28 runs off the first 4 overs, but I’m very proud of all players – they were all great.”
Grand final results
1 & 2: Met East 1-86 d Sunshine Coast 11-85.
3rd & 4th: Met West 2-78 d Northern Invitational 11-77.
5th & 6th: Capricornia 11-101 d Darling Downs 11-59.
7th & 8th: Wide Bay 3-112 d South Coast 111.
9th & 10th: Met North 164 d South West.
Semi-finals wrap
WEDNESDAY UPDATE: Sunshine Coast and Metropolitan East will both be chasing their maiden Queensland School Sport 10-12 years Girls Cricket Championships title in the 16-year history of the event when they contest the grand final of the annual tournament at Salter Oval today after each triumphing in the semi-finals yesterday afternoon.
Sunshine Coast, who lost their first game of the carnival on Sunday to Met East but have swept all before them since, accounted for Capricornia by 46 runs in their morning last Pool game yesterday, then staged an excellent run chase against Met West in the semis, reaching their target of 79 for the loss of only two wickets with plenty of overs to spare.
Metropolitan East are the only unbeaten side at the titles after losing just one wicket in thrashing Met North by 84 runs in the morning, then cruising to a nine-wicket semi-final victory over Northern Invitational who suffered their first loss in the morning, going down to Met West, then were steamrolled for a mere 55 runs in the grand final qualifier before Met East made easy pickings in their chase.
All of today’s games will be played as 40 overs per side affairs, all starting at 8.30am, with the grand final on the Salter Oval big stage.
Perhaps fittingly on the day that the Women’s Big Bash League finals start in Sydney, with that league featuring eight players who were recently named in the QSS 10-12 years Girls Cricket Team of the Century – Beth Mooney, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Josie Dooley, Jemma Barsby, Charli Knott, Holly Ferling and Courtney Sippel – future WBBL and international stars could be on show, not only in the grand finale, but also in other play-off games.
Wide Bay will battle it out with South Coast for seventh position on Kendall’s Flat Field 7 after being outplayed by Darling Downs in the morning yesterday but then defeating South West by eight wickets after having bowled them out for only 52.
Wide Bay coach Kris Johnson was full of praise for his players.
“Captain Abby Stevens (of St John’s Lutheran School Bundaberg) batted really, really well for 30 not out against South West, Raine Eastcott (Mundubbera SS) fielded, batted and bowled very well, and Baylie Hutton (Isis District SHS) bowled very, very well,” Mr Johnson said. “But generally, it was a good all-round team effort.”
Yesterday’s results: Met East 1-132 d Met North 7-48; Sunshine Coast 6-96 d Capricornia 9-50; Met West 6-88 d Northern 5-80; Darling Downs 3-112 d Wide Bay 83; South Coast 60 d South West 7-48.
Major semi-finals: Sunshine Coast 2-81 d Met West 5-78; Met East 1-56 d Northern Invitational 55. Minor semi-finals: Darling Downs 8-63 d South Coast 62; Capricornia 1-95 d Met North 9-94; Wide Bay 2-53 d South West 52.
Draw: Grand final Sunshine Coast v Met East (Salter Oval 1); 3&4 Met West v Northern Invitational (Salter Oval 2); 5&6 Darling Downs v Capricornia (Salter Oval 3); 7&8 South Coast v Wide Bay (Kendall’s Flat 7); 9&10 Met North v South West (Kendall’s Flat 2).
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