St Matt’s have qualified for the NZ Cricket Primary Shield finals at the end of the year. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
CRICKET
CHRIS COGDALE
[email protected]
St Matthew’s Collegiate are through to the national finals of the New Zealand Cricket Primary Schoolgirls’ Shield after winning all three games at the Central Districts playoffs at Huntley School, Marton, on Tuesday.
Their unbeaten run started in the most thrilling manner with the winning run against Palmerston North Normal Intermediate School scored off the last ball of their 15 overs.
Chasing 86-4 St Matt’s needed four runs off the last over for victory. Sally Booth scored a two off the first ball followed by three dot balls and a single to tie the scores.
That left Francesca Wells one ball to score the winning run, which she achieved.
Booth batted through the innings to finish 32 not out [42 balls, two fours] and had formed a vital 65-run third wicket partnership with Maddi Phillips who scored 30 [34 balls, two fours].
St Matt’s then cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Huntley School after restricting the home side to 55-5.
Wells was in dominant form with the ball taking 4-2 off her three overs, with the two runs conceded coming from wides.
Openers Lucy Wyeth with 27 not out [23 balls, five fours] and Wells 12 not out brought up the winning runs in the eighth over.
Wells continued her good form in the final game against Sacred Heart College, combining with Kaitlyn Williams for a 71-run sixth wicket partnership after her team had stumbled to 24-5. Wells was out for 30 [20 balls, one four], while Williams retired on 29 [33 balls, five fours].
Two wickets each to India Bartlett and Mia Hewson ensured Sacred Heart’s innings never got going and they were dismissed for 40.
The 15-over games were played by teams of nine.
The national finals will be played at the end of November or early December in Christchurch.
BRIEF SCORES
Palmerston North Normal Intermediate School 86-4 [India Bartlett 3-7] lost to St Matthew’s 87-3 [Sally Booth 32 not out, Maddi Phillips 30] by six wickets.
Huntley School 55-5 [Meg Speedy 21; Francesca Wells 4-2] lost to St Matthew’s 56-0 [Lucy Wyeth 27 not out] by eight wickets.
St Matthew’s 101-6 [Kaitlyn Williams 29, Francesca Wells 20] beat Sacred Heart College 40-8 [India Bartlett 2-8, Mia Hewson 2-5] by 61 runs.
