Wairarapa wicketkeeper Jess Roseingrave [35] looks on as Aimee Kay hits out for Hawke’s Bay during the final of the Under-18 girls tournament at the Whanganui Festival of Cricket on Monday. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY/WGC
IAIN HYNDMAN
Wanganui Chronicle
Wairarapa could not prevent Hawke’s Bay from achieving back-to-back Under-18 girls titles at the annual Cricket Express Whanganui Festival of Cricket.
The defending champions completed the six-team competition unbeaten after batting aside Wairarapa by 109 runs in the final at Whanganui Collegiate School on Monday.
Both teams had not lost a match until they met in a dead rubber on Sunday.
It had already been determined they would meet in the final, but the Sunday game provided some insight into how Monday’s final might go.
Hawke’s Bay won in a close encounter managing to chase down Wairarapa’s 154-5 with just nine balls left to bowl. Hawkes Bay reached 157-4 after 28.3 overs.
On Monday, it was quite a different kettle of fish with the Hawke’s Bay girls always confident they had the measure of Wairarapa.
Hawke’s Bay batted first finishing with 145-6 after the allotted 30 overs. Aimee Kay top scored with 46 off 68 balls, while Macy Lyford and Ella Southey took two wickets apiece for Wairarapa for 16 and 19
runs respectively.
In reply, Wairarapa struggled from the outset with openers Kayama Jones-Dennes and Lyford scoring just eight and one respectively.
They were quickly followed by Ocean Bartlett for a duck, Emma McLeod, two, and Hattie Vincent, five.
The bottom order only managed to score 13 runs between them to finish on 36 all out after 20.4 overs.
Hawke’s Bay left-hand allrounder Flora Devonshire easily won the tournament’s most valuable player award after topping the batting, bowling, and fielding leadership boards.
Manawatu and Taranaki tied for third while the Horowhenua-Kapiti-Whanganui Combined side finished fifth.
