Western Power v Coastal Marlins
BPL 2022 - U23F
27 September 2022 (11.00am) at Wayne Broad Oval
The Power took on the Coastal Marlins in the first of their two games on Day Two of the Brisbane Premier League’s U23F tournament. A storm was forecast for the afternoon, but conditions were fine for the start of play. Ryleigh Wotherspoon called correctly for the Marlins and and elected to Bowl first.
The Power were in trouble early with both Emma Jackson and Breanna Craven victims of Marlins opening bowler, Mia Croucamp inside the first five overs. Hannah Freiberg joined Sarah Walker for 21 from 17 balls before Zoe Valencic was introduced in the 8th over. Valencic picked up Walker and Meghan McCartney, both caught by Charlotte Lutz off the first ball of the first two Valencic overs. A quickfire 34 from 25 between Freiberg and Jamie-Lee Strang breathed life back into the Power innings. Then, with the score on 93, it was Valencic again who had Strang caught by Catherine White. Hanna Freiberg was out a couple of overs later when little sister Keely enticed her out of her crease for Wotherspoon to complete the stumping. (Interesting conversation around the dinner table tonight!!). Just when it seemed the innings may fizzle out, Lucy Williams and Ashleigh Sims added 44 in the final four overs finding the boundary on six occasions and clearing it on another to take the score to a competitive 150.
Ryleigh Wotherspoon and Gillian Chalmers started at a rollicking pace with a 41 run partnership in the first five overs. Sarah Walker struck with her second ball to remove Chalmers and Wotherspoon fell 8 balls later when Jackson got under a top edge off the bowling of Meghan McCartney. McCartney also grabbed wickets in her 3rd and 4th overs to return 3/18 in her spell. Needing 9 an over from the last seven, Charlotte Lutz put the foot down clubbing five boundaries from her next 8 deliveries and 27 from 13 in partnership with Rebecca Kuitters. A wicket to Olivia Clark from the first ball of the 16th, created a small blip in momentum, but not enough to prevent Lutz bringing up an important 50 from 31 balls and guiding the Marlins to within 14 runs of the target with two overs to go. Emma Jackson threw the ball to Lucy Williams and three balls later, Jackson snatched one out of the air; Lutz gone! three balls later, Erin Moran chased one to mid-on, threw to Williams…Run Out! The Marlins needed 10 from the last over. A single from the first, a dot from the second… 9 from 4!! Then, a cruel twist. Keely Freiberg latched onto a loose ball and sent it sailing over the fine leg boundary for six. A couple of balls later it was all over.
Disappointment for the Power, but a very close hard fought game by both teams. Well done to all.
