Minor premiership race opens up after Wahgunyah snap Wilga Hotel’s winning streak

Wahgunyah Dreamtime Mirri and Nandewar Motel have set up a highly-anticipated minor premiership race in Narrabri District Women’s Cricket Association’s 2024/25 campaign after they both scored 37-run victories in their last games of the calendar year on Friday and Saturday.

Those two sides entered round six just two wins behind ladder leaders Wilga Hotel, but Nandewar’s victory against GFS Engineering on Friday night and Wahgunyah’s win against Wilga Hotel on Saturday night, both at Hogan Oval, saw the second- and third-placed duo reduce that gap to one win.

Nandewar batted first at Hogan Oval on Friday and made 4-122 after occupying the crease for the full 20 overs, and they then restricted GFS Engineering to 8-85 in 20 overs during the second innings to win the match by 37 runs.

The Nandewar ladies were led by Tori-Ann Geraghty, who produced an MVP performance as she starred in both innings. She entered at number five in the first innings and scored a game-best 33 runs, which included crucial partnerships with Jade Williams (32) and Amy Trindall (15*).

Geraghty then produced sensational figures of 5-9 from four overs in the second innings to help Nandewar secure their third win in five games.

Millie Adams (2-17 from four overs) was GFS Engineering’s best with the ball in the first innings and then scored 18 runs in the second, while Bec Armstrong (20) top-scored with the bat.

Trindall (1-13 from four overs) and Sam Lubke-Wood (1-11 from three overs) both claimed a wicket each for Nandewar Motel and the side’s eighth came via a runout.

Wahgunyah batted first in Saturday night’s game and they made 7-89 in 20 overs before bowling out Wilga Hotel for 52 in 16.1 overs to win by 37 runs and snap Wilga’s undefeated four-game winning streak.

Wahgunyah’s captain Angie Knox led the way in the first innings as she opened the batting and registered an unbeaten game-best 38, anchoring the innings as seven teammates fell around her.

Dannielle Pokarier-Baker (10*) also remained unbeaten when the innings came to its conclusion and was the only other Wahgunyah batter to reach double figures.

Wilga Hotel’s opening bowlers Zoe Tomlinson (2-22 from four overs) and Bridget Murphy (4-13 from four overs) were both impressive with the ball, and their side’s other wicket was taken by Sam Woolford (1-15 from four overs).

Wahgunyah went into the second innings looking to become the only team to bowl out their opponents in round six, and Velvet Craigie ensured they achieved that as she produced an MVP performance with the ball.

Craigie claimed two wickets with her first two deliveries when she was introduced into the attack in the third over, and she went on to finish with 5-6 from four overs.

That phenomenal spell included two maidens, one of which was a wicket-maiden.

Emily Hartnett (2-14 from three overs), Knox (1-6 from three overs) and Molly Welsh (1-12 from three overs) combined for four wickets, and the other came via a runout as Wilga ended up all out on 52 runs.

Wilga finished the weekend on 33 points following four wins, a loss and a washed-out draw, Wahgunyah and Nandewar are both on 27 following three wins, two losses and a washed-out draw each, and GFS Engineering are on nine points after five losses and a washed-out draw.

The GFS side is not mathematically out of finals contention just yet but will need to win all three games when the season resumes next year and will also need Wahgunyah or Nandewar to lose all of theirs to sneak into third place.

The competition will resume on Saturday, February 8, and there will be three more regular season rounds played before the March 1 preliminary final and the March 8 grand final.