By Tara Murray
Plenty Valley’s hot start to the season has continued for a second successive week by knocking off Box Hill, a grand finalist in last season’s Victorian Premier Cricket Women’s firsts one-day competition.
After beating last season’s runners-up, Essendon Maribyrnong Park, the test was to back it up against last season’s premiers Box Hill.
The Bats did just that, getting the victory quite comfortably in the end by six wickets.
Batting first, Box Hill made 133, with Rhiann O’Donnell, Sophie Day, Jessie Hullett and Meagan Ciaverella taking two wickets apiece.
Bats coach Adam Drinkwell said his side was bowling well.
“Everyone is contributing and bowling as a unit,” he said.
“Each one is doing their job and we’re not relying on one player. The girls are enjoying their cricket.”
The Bats then got the job done with the bat, finishing on 4-134.
O’Donnell made 38, with Sophie Reid finishing 31 not out.
It’s been a great start to the season for O’Donnell who is captaining the side. She took five wickets in the first-round win.
Drinkwell said O’Donnell, who is part of the Victorian squad, was putting her hand up for higher honours and he hoped she got her chance this season.
The win puts the Bats in a rare position of having won two matches in a row. Last season, they won two one-dayers in total.
Drinkwell said there was a lot of confidence growing with the results.
“We could not have started better, beating the two top teams from last year,” he said.
“We’re setting a high standard and that’s what we need to do against the higher clubs.
“But it’s only the beginning of the season and there’s still a lot of cricket to go.”
The Bats played without Tayla Vlaeminck, who has been selected as part of the Australian T20 World Cup team.
Drinkwell said it was a bonus for them whenever she was available. She took four wickets in the opening round.
The Bats will this week face Melbourne.
Meanwhile, the Bats’ men’s side started with a win against Coburg in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association’s north-east competition.
The Bats resumed at 8-396. While they normally would have declared, they came back out in a bid to get Sean Ayres a century.
Ayres, who was 97 not out after day one, finished on 103 not out as the Bats made 9-412.
The Bats bowlers backed up the batsmen’s efforts by bowling Coburg out for 138.
Luke Andree took four wickets.
Coburg was sent back in and finished 5-74 to avoid outright defeat. Ryan Pearson, who made 172 on day one, finished with three wickets.
FOR MORE PREMIER CRICKET NEWS
www.starweekly.com.au/sports/smashed-dogs-hit-back-for-win/
www.starweekly.com.au/sports/greenvale-kangaroos-cop-double-dose-defeat/
