Cricket North’s top talent will get up and close with the WBBL before taking aim at their Cricket North-West counterparts.
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Sunday’s representative fixture comes as the first of a three-match 40-over series between the North’s two regional leagues and will follow the Hobart Hurricanes’ first Tasmanian fixture of the season.
The Hurricanes, who feature a handful of ex-Cricket North alumni including Sasha Moloney, Brooke Hepburn, Katelyn Fryett and Meg Phillips, will take on the Melbourne Stars at Burnie’s West Park at 10.30am with the rep match to follow.
Cricket North coach Darren Simmonds said the double header was a dream gig for his players.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for this rep game to be played, particularly on a ground that’s been prepared for a Big Bash game,” he said.
“The wicket and the outfield will be very good, so the girls will get the opportunity to play on a first-class venue and it’s going to be a good opportunity to showcase their skills.”
Simmonds’ side will again be led by South Launceston’s multiple flag-winning skipper Belinda Wegman, who is one of five Knights in the 12-player squad.
The league’s top run-scorers in Caitlyn Webster (252 runs at 36), Dana Lester (199 runs at 49.75) and Ianthe Boden (191 runs at 27.29) headline the North’s batting line-up, while Stacey Norton-Smith, Rhianne Hack and Amy Duggan have each taken at least 11 wickets at an average of less than seven.
Riverside bowler Nicola Dusautoy and Launceston up-and-comer Charlotte Layton have also been drafted in to the squad to replace Maddison Hill and Lisa Battle.
“The side has been picked on the current season’s performances and we feel we’ve got a strong batting line-up, we bat very deep but we’ll be looking for our key batters to get the job done for us,” Simmonds said.
“We’ve got Caitlyn at the top of the order who’s scoring heavily, we’ve got Hacky scoring a lot of runs with Launceston along with Stacey, and Dana and Ianthe are doing well too.
“Our skipper Belinda is always a big game performer and with the bowling side of things we have lots of options which is important.”
Cricket North-West won the most recent clash between the two sides last January, taking a three-wicket victory as the North sent down a mammoth 54 wides.
It is understood the weekend’s match will be umpired more leniently in regards to leg-side wides.
REGIONAL RIVALS
Cricket North v Cricket North-West
Sunday, 2pm, West Park Oval
- Cricket North: Belinda Wegman (C), Caitlyn Webster, Amy Duggan, Meg Radford, Alice McLauchlan (South Launceston), Rhianne Hack, Stacey Norton-Smith, Lynn Hendley, Charlotte Layton (Launceston), Ianthe Boden, Nicola Dusautoy (Riverside), Dana Lester (Mowbray)
- Cricket North-West: Montana Bradley (C), Suzie Gale (Burnie), Sam Cotton, Georgia Foote, Laura Indge, Kahla Summers (Ulverstone), Kate Chaplin, Zoe Lowry, Esther Magor (Latrobe), Hayley Marshall (Wynyard), Martina Steven (Devonport), Tayla Wigg (Sheffield)