Under-15s lose opening match in a thriller

After posting 8-167 from their allotted overs, the game went down to the wire with ACT/NSW hitting the winning run in the final over with only one wicket remaining.

The day started with Victorian skipper Teagan Brett winning the toss and electing to bat.

Openers Zoe Griffiths and Sophie Van de Heuvel didn’t let the captain down, racing to 0-50 at the 10-over mark.

The partnership came to an end with the score on 68 when Griffiths was trapped LBW for 26.

This brought Nicole Faltum to the wicket, who made her way to 12 before she was run out of the bowlers hand, after Van de Heuvel hit a straight drive.

With the score 2-85 off 17 overs, the Victorian girls were in a good position with Van de Heuvel still out there on 39*.

Annabel Sutherland joined her at the crease but was stumped for five and shortly after Van de Heuvel was caught at fine leg for a well-made 45.

The score was 4-103 with skipper Brett out in the middle with Jess Karamoshou.

A mix up off a free hit saw Brett run out and the score slumped to 5-108 off 27 overs.

Stephanie Lewis joined Karamoshou in the middle and the two finished the innings well with some big hitting, which got the score to 8-167 at the completion of the innings.

With 167 on the board, the new ball was thrown to Tahlia Simpson who took no time picking up the first wicket in the third over.

After the initial breakthrough, the ACT/NSW Country girls put on a partnership of 48 before a brilliant piece of fielding saw Brett throw down the stumps to have ACT/NSW Country 2-53 off 13 overs.  

Erika Quinn picked up the third wicket for Victoria, with Maddison Baird taking a sharp chance at square leg.

Karamoshou one-upped Baird by taking a diving one hander at mid-off to have ACT/NSW Country 4-94 off 23 overs.

The situation became 26 off 49 with four wickets in hand, until a run out and a bowled from Lewis had the game down to 11 off 15 with two wickets in hand.

The game went into the final over with Victoria needing one wicket for victory and NSW/ACT Country needing just one run.

NSW/ACT Country rushed through for a single off the first ball of the last over to win a nail bitter.

Victoria will look to bounce back and grab their first win of the championships tomorrow when they face South Australia in their second match starting at 10am at Rosedale Oval.