It was a valiant effort by the Cooroy-Eumundi women’s team on Sunday, who were outclassed by Yandina. With rain sprinkling before the game started, there were questions about how much cricket would get played. With the umpires deciding the start on a ground that was just wet enough to impact upon the ball, Amanda Tie (0/20 off 5) and Alison Lindsay (1/33 off 6) led the bowling. The wet ball proved a little tricky to catch and stop in the field. Margit Cruice (4/29 off 6) made the first breakthrough, before a Yandina pair settled in to bat. Their captain, Kerryn Matthews, scored a terrific 50 forcing her retirement. A slight rain delay saw the game shortened to 27 overs each. When the second wicket finally fell they were 2 for 105 at the sixteenth over. However, the Cougars rallied well and never gave up, tightening up fielding and bowling. Young Carys Underwood(1/22 off 4) bowled the final over and Cooroy managed to hold them to 6/151 off their 27.
As Cooroy-Eumundi walked out to bat, the rain started to fall with just enough to wet the field and slow it down. The Yandina opener, Joytti Besford, bowled some of the best bowling we have faced this season and quickly knocked over Fiona Gardiner, Amanda Tie and Petrina McAulay. The Cougars found themselves at 3/16 in the fifth over, and in a bit of shock. Carys Underwood (8) came to the crease with orders to help settle the innings. At only 13 yaers of age playing women’s Tier 1 cricket, she did just that, facing 53 balls before going out with the score on 4/74. When captain Margit Cruice retired (50no), Kat Anderson (19no) played her best innings this season trying to push the score along. Unfortunately Cooroy couldn’t catch up, running out of overs finishing 8/101.
Even though some of the team had played together before this was a team that had new players, young players, and even women who had never played ball sports before. They have done an outstanding job just to reach the semi-finals. Every woman on that field put her heart into cricket and gave this season her best. They are a wonderful representation of women’s cricket on the Sunshine Coast. Congratulations to Yandina on their well deserved win to reach the Grand Final. The Tier 1 women’s grand final between Yandina and Caboolture will be played next Sunday from 9.45am at the Thorogood Oval in North St, Yandina.
