Victoria to sweat on results

Having completed its matches yesterday, Victoria currently sits in second place, 8.47 points clear of South Australia and a further 2.52 points ahead of ACT, with both sides having a game in hand.

With New South Wales assured of featuring in the final, South Australia and the ACT are both mathematically capable of leapfrogging Victoria, which remains in the box seat to play off for the national title.

South Australia will face Western Australia in a 40-over match today, while ACT will do likewise against Tasmania.

Victoria has the bye.

Having accounted for Western Australia by 98-runs during yesterday’s penultimate Twenty20 clash, a victory against NSW would have assured Victoria of a berth in tomorrow’s final, but they were unable to chase down the target.

“They were terrific with the ball, but just got a little bit lost during the chase (against NSW),” Victorian coach Duncan Harrison said.

“I think we took a lot out of it.

“They were disappointed by the loss, but hopefully we get another crack at it.”

Victoria’s Madeleine Wright captured a hat-trick during yesterday’s impressive victory against Western Australia, icing the result with her crafty off-spin.

Earlier in the encounter, Sophie Molineux (24) and Hope Irvine (18) helped the side post an impressive 2-138 before Makinley Blows (55*) and Rhiann O’Donnell (25*) closed out the innings with a 54-run third-wicket stand.

Leg-spinner Georgia Wareham snared 3-4 from her four overs, while Courtney Neale (2-3), Claire Nolte (1-7), Bella Poon (2-0), Molineux (2-0) and Blows (1-8) all shone with the ball.

Wright finished with the pick of the figures with 4-2 including her hat-trick.

Wareham (4-19) and Hayley Brennan (4-29) helped restrict NSW to 104 in the afternoon Twenty20 before the conditions and their opponents turned the screws with the ball.

With rain around, Victoria managed just 5-82 in reply as Blows top-scored with an unbeaten 30 from 43 balls to swell her tournament numbers to 231 runs at 77 and a strike rate of 75.50.

To see full results from the Under-15 National Championships, click here.

Image kindly supplied by Mark Blows.