Melbourne win first Premier title

Tight bowling, backed up by good fielding, proved decisive factors in a historic win for Melbourne in their first Final.

Chasing just 78 for victory, Melbourne gave themselves the first over to look at the pitch as opening pace-bowler Jordyn Pearson bowled a good line and length allowing just the single.

With spin from the other end the story was very different.

While Coburg struggled to find the boundary, doing so on just one occasion in the 19th over, Melbourne hit their first of 11 in the second over. 

Pearson continued to apply the pressure and bowled tightly to finish her four overs with figures of 0-16.

Coburg were not able to replicate this from the other end and they found the match quickly slipping away from them.

At the halfway mark, Melbourne were 0-51 requiring only 28 runs and at the same stage, Coburg were just 1-37.

The pick of the Coburg bowlers was young spin bowler Erika Quinn who claimed 1-8 from her four overs.  

She came on to bowl the ninth over, perhaps too late as Melbourne were already well above the required run rate, and went for just two runs.

Coburg’s only wicket came in the 11^th over as Quinn’s legspin undid Kyra Black for 27 with the score on 51.  

Quinn was unlucky not to claim another as a catch went down and she beat the batsmen on a number of occasions.

Teagan Parker and Parry Jenkins carefully negotiated Quinn’s remaining overs with and secured Melbourne’s nine-wicket win and their first Premier title in the 18^th over as they finished unbeaten on 33 and 17 respectively.

Melbourne bowled and fielded tightly to restrict Coburg to 5-77 from their 20 overs.

Breannon Sutton and Jane Livesey opened the attack and produced a number of dot balls from both ends.

After five overs Coburg had scored just 15.

The next pair of bowlers in Bronte James and Jordan Watson continued to apply the pressure and in the ninth over it was Watson who got the wicket as she bowled Emily Whitfield for 16 with Coburg on 29.

Two overs later Melbourne struck again.

On this occasion it was the return of opening bowler, Sutton, who had Nathalie Tuilagi caught Emma Medland for 13 with the score on 39.

The 12^th over also proved fruitful for Melbourne as young seam bowler Clementine Ryan-Fuller bowled Renee Melton for five after just one run had been added.

With Coburg searching for runs and Melbourne producing a fielding clinic it was no surprise a run out occurred.

With Coburg on 52-3, Sutton put an end to Courtney Coghill’s innings which produced four runs as Melbourne claimed their fourth.

Opening bowler Livesey got reward for her tight bowling in the 18^th over as she had Jordyn Pearson caught Sutton for 10 with the score on 59.

A productive penultimate over for Coburg of 11 runs helped them to post 5-77 as skipper Catherine Morrow finished unbeaten on 27 and Debra Loughnan two not out.

Teagan Parker was named Player of the Match for her unbeaten 33, an innings which included five fours.

Congratulations to Melbourne on their first Women’s Premier title in just their fourth season and good luck to both teams for the remainder of their one-day campaigns.