The impromptu return of new Tasmanian Tiger Emma Manix-Geeves has inspired Riverside to upset reigning premier South Launceston in arguably the biggest boilover in the women's game for more than 12 months.
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Manix-Geeves had been given special dispensation by Cricket Tasmania to play for her former club in the lead-up to representing New Town against the Greater Northern Raiders on Sunday.
Riverside only won three times last season and without Manix-Geeves present would have been seen as no match for Cricket North titleholders of the past four years, going through all of 2018-19 untroubled over 16 appearances with just a single loss.
But the Knights were under pressure from the outset of the new campaign following an opening stand lasting 18 overs of the T20 clash.
The 19-year-old went on to carry her bat for 37 from 47 balls, but Manix-Geeves happily watched Kate Sherriff take control with 67 off 60 in the 111-run partnership.
Knights slow bowler Ellie Matthews cleaned up 3-9 off 12 balls in the death overs to pull the Blues back to 4-118.
South Launceston lost a cluster of early wickets amid Caitlyn Webster standing out with 24 and were 4-53, still lagging at the halfway mark.
Skipper Belinda Wegman salvaged the chase with 25 off 26 balls in a 41-run stand.
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But the wicket of partner Narine Maurangi for 23 - one of four run-outs - sparked a late collapse, losing 6-19 to be bundled out for 112.
Teen Stacey Norton-Smith ripped through Mowbray's top-order, finishing with the extraordinary figures of 6-5 to all but deliver Launceston an easy seven-wicket win.
The Eagles wilted to lose 6-17, including five scalps from Norton-Smith's seamers all in the space of seven runs.
Dana Lester was forced to watch at the other end helplessly, as the captain typically stroked a defiant 29 not out.
She anchored a 45-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Phoebe Atkins (11) that kept the Lions at bay momentarily and ensured Mowbray reached 8-86.
The top-order of Launceston were never headed in pursuit of the modest target set at the NTCA Ground.
Norton-Smith fell cheaply at the top, but Victoria Geale joined Lions captain Lynn Handley in a 58-run stand.
Handley was dismissed for 24 amid quick back-to-back wickets, but Geale powered on towards an unbeaten 42.
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