Tara Murray
Plenty Valley has been knocked out in the first week of the Victorian Premier Cricket Women’s one-day finals for a second successive year.
Hoping to go one better than 12 months ago and make a surprise grand final, the Bats were left to pay for a below par batting performance against Essendon Maribyrnong Park on Sunday.
Bats coach Adam Drinkwell said in the end they didn’t have enough runs on the board.
“We just weren’t good enough,” he said.
“I thought 140 to 160 was a good score on that wicket. We didn’t get a big enough partnership in the middle to get to that total.
“They came out all guns firing.”
The Bats were bowled out for 107 in the 47th over.
Sophie Reid, who has starred all season, top scored with 28.
The Bats gave themselves a chance with the ball, having Essendon Maribyrnong Park in trouble at 5-21.
Rhiann O’Donnell was the destroyer taking all four wickets. She would end up with 5-16 off her 10 overs.
Drinkwell said it was a pretty special spell of bowling.
Essendon Maribyrnong Park were able to do what the Bats couldn’t do and put together a couple of partnerships in the middle order.
It would be the difference, as it made 6-108 to win through to their second grand final this season.
Drinkwell said it had been an up and down season for the side, which again showed they were no longer the easybeats of the competition.
He said he was proud of the side’s efforts on Sunday and throughout the season.
“Some players really excelled this year and have taken their games to the next level,” he said.
“The season was a long road and we played some really competitive cricket. We have shown we can match it with really good teams throughout the season.
“We have to keep developing and getting used to the experiences. This isn’t the finished product for these girls.”
