Harvey-Benger Cricket Club’s inaugural women’s team bows out of BDCA second grade finals in loss to Dalyellup

Harvey-Benger’s inaugural women’s team has concluded their finals campaign after a heart-breaking last ball loss to Dalyellup on Sunday in Harvey.

Dalyellup dropped back into second grade half way through the season and lost only one game, against Harvey-Benger.

Harvey-Benger won the toss and elected to bat first in extremely hot conditions. Openers Sammie Bozanich and Taneeka De ridder started cautiously with Bozanich bowled in the eighth over for six.

De ridder (10) was dismissed shortly after and then Bec Fry followed, bowled for five leaving Harvey-Benger 3-33.

Captain Megan Minton (29no) anchored the middle order with support from Trinity Brown (15) and Brooke Vantwist (18 off 12) as Harvey-Benger posted 8-102 off 30 overs.

In reply, Dalyellup were in trouble early as Laura Cheney (3-11) and Minton (3-14) took three quick wickets each.

Dalyellup’s middle order was solid as Harvey-Benger leaked a few more extras than they had hoped. Needing only six off the last three overs, Minton and Cheney bowled their hearts out with a missed run out chance in the last over.

Needing one off four balls, Cheney was able to bowl three dot balls in a row but it was not Harvey-Benger’s day as Dalyellup’s Kellie Piacentini hit the winning run.

The result concludes the season for the club’s inaugural women’s team, but five of the players will be playing in country week over the March long weekend.