Wahgunyah Dreamtime Mirri secure another NDWCA minor premiership

The minor premiership was secured in the closest of races and history was made in the most thrilling of fashions when the final round of the Narrabri District Women’s Cricket Association season was played on Saturday night.

The two-time defending champions Wahgunyah Dreamtime Mirri locked in a first-place finish as they scored a dominant six-wicket win at Hogan Oval against Wilga Hotel in round nine.

Those two sides and Nandewar Motel had all entered the weekend locked on 38 points following four wins, two losses and two washed-out draws each, which meant both first place and the automatic grand final qualification were up for grabs for all three teams.

Nandewar Motel were also winners as they defeated GFS Engineering by 25 runs at Leitch Oval to finish locked on 45 points with Wahgunyah, but the defending champs claimed the top spot based on runs scored and conceded and wickets taken and lost.

Nandewar Motel, who finished last in the 2023/24 campaign but have found form this season, will now take on Wilga Hotel this Saturday night in the preliminary final for a chance to join Wahgunyah Dreamtime Mirri in the March 8 decider.

Saturday’s entertaining final round also included a piece of history as Wahgunyah youngster Menzie Baker bowled the first hat-trick in the local women’s competition on her way to phenomenal figures of 5-7 from three overs to help restrict Wilga Hotel to 45 runs in 18 overs.

Her teammates Emily Hartnett (2-8 from three overs), Velvet Craigie (1-3 from three overs) and Angie Knox (1-9 from three overs) combined for four wickets, and there was also a runout.

Only opener Taryn Kirk (12) reached double digits for Wilga Hotel in that innings after they had won the toss and elected to bat first.

Wahgunyah lost four wickets in the second innings but chased down the required total in just 12.3 overs. Craigie (17) led the way with a match-high score and Hartnett (7*) brought it home at the end.

The other match at Leitch Oval saw Nandewar Motel win the toss and bat first before their leading run-scorers Grace Farrer (10) and Jade Williams (37*) opened and got them off to a positive start.

They ended up being the only two batters to reach double figures, and Williams carried her bat as her side finished up on 7-94.

Georgia Hardman was the GFS side’s best with the ball as she claimed 2-20 from her four overs.

GFS Engineering managed to bat out the entire 20 overs in the second innings but they fell 26 runs short of victory after making 9-69.

Skipper Alecia Tubner (16) top-scored for the chasing side after she opened the batting, while Rebecca Gibbs (13*) was her only teammate to reach double digits.

Williams backed up her superb batting effort with match-best figures of 3-5 from four overs to cap off a player-of-the-match performance in style.