Western Power v Moreton Magic
BPL 2022 - U23F
28 September 2022 (2.00pm) at Ian Droney Oval
The final game of the regular rounds was between the Western Power and the Moreton Magic on Ian Droney Oval. Both teams were unlikely to make the final four and looked set to play again on Day 4 in the 5 v 6 playoff. The Magic won the toss and elected to bat.
Ashleigh Sims broke through with the first ball of the 3rd over, getting through the defences of the dangerous Tarah Staines. Taylor Stumer and Ava Spencer added 46 in 44 balls for the second wicket before Stumer was trapped in front by Sarah Walker in the 11th over. Five balls later Hannah Freiberg’s intensity in the field paid off when she through to Jackson to find Elise O’Kane short of her ground. Jackson was in the action again a few overs later when she snuck through Olivia Smith’s defences to disturb the furniture. Excellent bowling by the Power restricted the Magic to just 44 in the last ten overs. Ashleigh Sims’ 1/15 from 4 was the pick of the bowlers. Abby Harris’ two overs conceded just three runs and included a rare T20 maiden. A rare appearance by Jackson with the ball was a creditable 1/14 from 3 and Ayaka Stafford showed great maturity to concede just 11 runs from 2 overs at the death.
The target was 114, but it would have to be with only 9 wickets when Jackson was out caught by Stumer (in the field) off Shari Anderson just two balls in. It was 2/8 in over two when Emily Titmarsh wandered out of her ground and was stumped by O’Kane off Tarah Staines. Then at the end of over five, O’Kane was on hand again to dismiss Meghan McCartney and give Shari Anderson wicket No. 2. Breanna Craven and Hannah Freiberg dug in, combining good running between wickets with the occasional boundary to add 55 from 41 for the 4th wicket. Things went awry in the 12th over. Freiberg mis-timed one off Jessica Cremin and was caught by Grace Abdy from the second ball then, three balls later, Craven played between Olivia Smith and Ava Spencer who both gave chase. Spencer won the race, picked up and threw to O’Kane, Craven Run Out! But wait…the very next ball….Ayaka Stafford between Olivia Smith and Ava Spencer who both gave chase. This time Smith won the race, picked up and threw to O’Kane, Stafford Run Out! 3/75 had become 6/78. Olivia Clark who had stood open-mouthed at the non-striker’s end watching her team-mates commit hari-kari, was joined by the cool head of Ashleigh Sims at the start of over 13. Together the pair guided the Power to within two runs of victory in a run-a-ball partnership of 34 for the 7th wicket. Sims was out in the 18th over for a well made 23 from 18 balls. The target was overhauled in the 19th to give the Power their third victory of the tournament.
