Hawke's Bay batters Olivia Mairs (left) and Aimee Kay discuss tactics during their side's 109-run win over Wairarapa in the final of the U18 Girls tournament at the Whanganui Festival of Cricket. Photo / Bevan Conley
Hawke's Bay batters Olivia Mairs (left) and Aimee Kay discuss tactics during their side's 109-run win over Wairarapa in the final of the U18 Girls tournament at the Whanganui Festival of Cricket. Photo / Bevan Conley
Hawke's Bay went about their business in clinical fashion to win back-to-back U18 Girls titles at the annual Cricket Express Whanganui Festival of Cricket.
The defending champions from last season went through the six-team competition unbeaten, absolutely demolishing an in-form Plumbing World Wairarapa side by 109 runs in the finalat Whanganui Collegiate School on Monday.
Both teams had gone through unbeaten until they met in a dead rubber on Sunday. It had already been determined they would meet in the final, but the Sunday match would provide some insight into how Monday's final might go.
Hawke's Bay won in a close encounter, managing to chase down Wairarapa's 154/5 with just nine balls left to bowl. Hawke's Bay reached 157/4 after 28.3 overs.
On Monday, it was quite a different kettle of fish with the Hawke's Bay girls always confident they had the measure of their Wairarapa neighbours.
Hawke's Bay batted first, finishing with 145/6 after the allotted 30 overs. Aimee Kay top scored with 46 off 68 balls, while Macy Lyford and Ella Southey took two wickets apiece for Wairarapa for 16 and 19 runs respectively.
Aimee Kay slogs another as she top scores for Hawke's Bay during their 10-run winning final of the U18 Girls tournament at the Whanganui Festival of Cricket. Photo / Bevan Conley
In reply, Wairarapa struggled from the outset, with openers Kayama Jones-Dennes and Lyford scoring just 8 and 1 runs respectively, quickly followed by Ocean Bartlett going for a duck, Emma McLeod 2 and Hattie Vincent 5 - Wairarapa were in serious trouble. The bottom order only managed to score 13 runs between them to finish on 36/10 after 20.4 overs.
Hawke's Bay's left-handed allrounder Flora Devonshire easily won the tournament's Most Valuable Player after topping the batting, bowling and fielding leadership boards and, of course, making the tournament dream paper team. Teammate Aniela Apperley finished fourth on the MVP table.
JC's Building Supplies Manawatu and Taranaki tied for third after the former won by 39 runs in the playoff for third and fourth, while the Horowhenua-Kapiti/Whanganui Combined side finished fifth despite being beaten 134/10 to Admark Print Development Girls Wellington's 135/9 on finals day.
