MUCC Women Make Statement in Semi

Written by Cath Grant

The annual trip to the Labour Day Tennis tournament took an interesting turn. Insanity on the captain’s part making the trek from Donald in Victoria’s Northwest to the North West A semi final at Princes Park 3 resulted in a success.

MUCC women lost the toss and were handed the ball. A plan that was in the works at 8.30 whilst waiting for an egg and bacon roll and a very large cappuccino.

Odette Lopez was a new introduction to Clifton Hill and the first ball of the match, she knocked over the dangerous Lauren Chester’s off stump. From then on the Uni women were asking some great questions with the ball. With Clifton Hill still 1/1 in the fifth over, MUCC sensed blood in the water.

Outstanding bowling displays by young pocket rockets Jordy Allen and Eva Cormie frustrated the Clifton Hill middle order and the girls rewarded their tight bowling with Jordy picking 1/4 from four overs and Eva snagging 1/8. 

In a change of pace, the ball was thrown to Jahnvi Tandon, Cressida McDermott and Tarmia Uerata. The frustration of the batting was showing and Cress tempted the in form Isabelle Fenner into playing a loose shot and spooned the ball to Bella Poon in the covers.

From then on, it was a matter of time. Jahnvi snared a tidy 2/5 and Tarmz off her two steps settled for 1/1 from five overs.

MUCC restricted Clifton Hill to 9/84 from their 36 overs.

Enter Bella Poon and Brianna Herman. The openers put on a batting display with Bella taking aerial routes and playing glorious straight drives, finding the boundary at regular intervals. The 72 run opening partnership all but sealed the win for the MUCCers.

Brianna top scored with 37*, Bella 32 and captain Cath Grant made the drive worthwhile hitting the winning runs ending Clifton Hill’s hopes of a fairy tale introduction to the Community North West comp.

MUCC will now play a home grand final against Ballarat next Sunday, so please come down and support the MUCC women who have persevered through some pretty tough times in recent years and are reaping the rewards now.