Melissa Hansen led the Tararua Kotahi. PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES
CRICKET
CHRIS COGDALE
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Wairarapa Korus players impressed at the Central Districts women’s Super League in Levin last weekend.
Central Hinds medium-pacer Melissa Hansen led the Tararua Kotahi, who also featured Korus’ teammates Ocean Bartlett, Olivia Clark, Gemma Sims, and Macy Lyford.
Another Koru, Emma McLeod, played for the Levin Coastal Challengers in the T20 competition.
The Tararua Kotahi had three narrow losses – to the Power by nines, to the Tui by six runs, and to the Challengers by one run, before beating the Tui by seven wickets.
“From my team’s point of view, we were close in all the games,” Hansen said.
“It could have gone either way in all of them, and to finish with a win on the last day was reward for our hard work throughout the weekend.”
Lyford’s effort in the third match on Saturday afternoon was one that stood out for Hansen. The St Matthew’s Collegiate all-rounder was promoted to No 3 in the batting order and strolled to the crease in the first over struggling with sickness.
Undeterred, Lyford scored a courageous 58 from 48 balls, including seven fours, before she was run out in the 16th over.
“She was a bit sick, so for her to go out and bat the way she did and carry on with it was brilliant,” Hansen said.
“She was absolutely shattered after that innings, but it was awesome to see after she’d not batted in the first couple of games.”
Lyford’s batting effort came after an impressive four-over spell where she had taken one wicket and conceded only 11 runs. Over the four games, she conceded only 35 runs from her nine overs and took two wickets.
Talented all-rounder Ocean Bartlett also highlighted her potential with scores of 35, 14, 26, and 11 not out and took five wickets for 65 runs, with a best of 3-21 in the opening match with New Plymouth Power.
Hansen said that Bartlett played well and would have learnt a lot over the three days.
“She’s that powerful batter who comes in the middle order and can take the game away from teams just by scoring quickly and freely, and she did well.
“But I think there were a couple of times where she should have just simmered down a little bit and batted another couple of overs. That’s an experience for her; learning when to fully go and when to pull back a bit.”
Clark took three wickets in the three matches in which she bowled, with the best return of 1-8 off two overs in the second-round loss to the Palmerston North Tui.
Hansen said Sims enjoyed taking the wicketkeeping gloves having played as a batter for the Hinds in the first two games of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield against Otago. Sims, however, had a mixed bag with the bat with a top score of 21 in her four innings.
Hansen had scores of 14no, 29, and 10no in her three innings and took two wickets with the best return of 1-24 off four overs.
McLeod bowled in all four matches for the Levin side, claiming her only wicket for eight runs in their win over New Plymouth Power.
