The women’s one-day B Grade match between Kilsyth and Belgrave was fixtured to be played at Belgrave Recreation Reserve, but this was changed to Alan Smith Oval, Pinks Reserve, as the Belgrave ground was unplayable due to the recent wet weather.
Belgrave went down in a close contest, but despite the loss, it was absolutely awesome to get some cricket in after all the rain, and it was a huge team effort after a late withdrawal left the team with 10 players.
Belgrave won the toss and elected to bat. Yvonne Pleydell and Co-Captain Ishleen Lamba shared a good opening partnership of 47 in 13.2 overs before coming to an end when Kilsyth’s Stephanie Gibbs’ second ball of the match dismissed Pleydell for 22 off 43 balls, well caught by Nicole Woolhouse at fly slip. Lamba was the next wicket to fall, bowled by spinner Nisansala Hettiarachchi for a well-made 35 off 55 balls (five fours, including three in one over). Belgrave were now 2/76 off 20.2 overs.
After 30 overs, the score had reached 2/120 with a third-wicket partnership of 44 between Melinda Cottrell and Co-Captain Jess Walker. Then, opening bowler Serena Gibbs came back into the attack, and with the first ball of her second spell, had Cottrell caught by her sister, Sarah Gibbs, at short mid-wicket, for 28 off 50 balls. Serena Gibbs followed up with another wicket in her next over, caught by Tegan Unternahrer, and Belgrave were now 4/130 off 32.1 overs.
Acting Captain for Kilsyth, Lecia Baldry, then picked up two wickets (both bowled), in consecutive balls to be on a second hat-trick for the season, but it wasn’t to be. One of the wickets was that of Jess Walker, who scored 25 off 42 balls. It was three wickets in four balls for the Kilsyth team when Serena Gibbs captured another wicket (clean bowled), and in the end, Belgrave finished on 7/138cc off their allotted 36 overs. The wicket takers for Kilsyth were Serena Gibbs, 3/12 off six overs, Lecia Baldry 2/19 off six overs, Stephanie Gibbs 1/10 off five overs, and Nisansala Hettiarachchi 1/11 off three overs.
After the tea break, Kilsyth started positively in the run chase and were 0/19 after two overs. However, the first wicket fell on 20 in the third over, bowled by Jess Walker. Serena Gibbs and Sharon Sheals then put on 30 for the second wicket when Sheals was out to a brilliant catch by Kirsten Brindley, fielding in close at short cover. Kilsyth were now 2/50 off 8.3 overs. Then the scoring rate slowed, and the Redbacks lost five more wickets, 3/59, 4/63, 5/66, 6/67 and were 7/70 after 20.3 overs. Serena Gibbs, who had held the top order together, was the fifth wicket to fall for a bright 37 off 44 balls, caught behind by ’keeper Yvonne Pleydell off the bowling of spinner Ishleen Lamba. It was then that Stephanie Gibbs joined Belinda Hutchings, and they set about trying to build a partnership. They chipped away at the target with some good running between wickets and stroke play, and the 100 came up in the 26th over.
After 30 overs, it was 7/118 and then a maiden over from Chloe Harris meant that Kilsyth needed 21 off five overs to win. Two runs came off the next over and so 19 were needed off the last four overs, and the situation was getting tense on the Kilsyth bench. However, nine runs off the 33rd over and 12 runs off the 34th over saw Kilsyth over the line with two overs to spare, finishing on 7/141. Stephanie Gibbs batted superbly to be 44 not out off 38 balls (five fours), and was well supported by Belinda Hutchings, 21 not out off 52 balls (two fours). Belgrave’s wicket takers were Ishleen Lamba, 3/14 off 7 overs, Jess Walker 3/25 off six overs, and Kirsten Brindley 1/20 off seven overs. Wicket keeper Yvonne Pleydell took three good catches behind the stumps.
