Sydney Womens Grade: Bankstown roundup

First Grade Women's Cricket

First Grade

Second placed Bankstown Sports Club is involved in an interesting local derby with Berala at Bankstown Oval. Sports Club skipper Sally Pratt won the toss and elected to bat but the team failed to take advantage of the perfect batting conditions and totalled just 167. After an opening stand of 34 and a stylish 20 from Sally Shaw a mini collapse ensued and it was left to Debbie Nelson and Melissa Quinn to add some respectability to the innings. More renowned as an opening bowler Nelson worked the ball around stylishly to notch 33, which included five boundaries, whilst Quinn stroked no less than seven fours in her entertaining 44 runs . Offspinner Heather Barling provided some defiant resistance at the end to finish with an unconquered 16 and it was a pity she ran out of partners. Michelle Gosko struck a vital blow when Sports took the field. She snared an early breakthrough when 'keeper Karina Bird gratefully accepted a catch from a miscued pull shot but thereafter some determined Berala batting thwarted the Sports bowlers.

No play was possible last Sunday in the Bankstown Sports Club - Berala clash and as a consequence Berala won on a countback much to the chagrin of the Bankstown players. Their next game will be against Sutherland at Bankstown Oval on the 5th December.

Bankstown Sports Club scored an important victory last Sunday in the first grade clash against Sutherland at Bankstown Oval. Sutherland scored 6-176 from the allotted fifty overs with offspinner Heather Barling the chief destroyer for Sports. Barling flighted the ball cleverly to capture 3-38 in her probing ten over spell. The Bankstown fielding was excellent, highlighted by a brilliant diving catch in the covers from promising youngster Cara Swinfield. Classy strokemaker Sally Shaw showed her versatility after opening the bowling by posting a delightful 53 to pave the way for victory. Impressive at her debut was compact lefthander Amanda Owens with a stylish 44 not out. Owens who hails from Port Macquarie and is in the under 19 State side is freely tipped to have a big future in the game. Skipper Sally Pratt gave the side a good start with a typically aggressive 39 whilst lefthander Karina Bird hammered home the advantage with a hard hitting 22 not out. It was a fine allround effort from the team especially in view of the fact that several of their top players were absent on representative duties.

Bankstown Sports Club received the bye last weekend resulting in an extended break which will mean they do not resume playing until the 8th January with the clash against Gordon at Nick Kearns.

(Reproduced with the kind permission of Michael Stephenson.)