Young Motors Women’s T20 season review: Wanderers and Sporties shine, as Towns and CVN show some glimpses

The 2025-26 Young Motors Women’s T20 cricket season had many highlights throughout the season, but it did little to stray from the script as Wanderers claimed their fifth straight title. Sporties made it to the big dance for the sixth time in club history, but for all their endeavour, they’re still chasing their elusive premiership. While the seven-year-old competition has nurtured WA’s best women cricketers outside of Perth, there was mostly an appreciable gap between Wanderers and Sporties to Towns and Chapman Valley-Northampton. More players are needed, especially young ones, so clubs don’t need to rely on a core of 13 or 14 players. WANDERERS In the final, Olivia Bidwell made a duck and took one wicket but was deservedly best player for her leadership and deadly fielding. Her direct hit run out of Belinda Burrows was genius. Her season featured 383 runs at 38.30 with four 50s and was first to 2000 runs along with 13 wickets. Abby Green (228 runs/12 wickets) was unlucky to not make a 100 with a best of 98, while Ashlyn Thompson (20 wickets at 4.36) was superb, also taking 11 wickets in men’s A-grade. Others of note included Charli Bidwell, the competition’s best wicketkeeper and a handy bat, Layne Gillingham and Kasey Maynard. Meg Spalding played the last five games and showed class with bat and ball. SPORTIES Shyanne Thomas-Mirrielees joined from Albany and with 342 runs, including an unbeaten ton and 17 wickets, made a huge impression. Jo Walker captained with her usual calm and her 16 wickets saw her first to 100 career scalps. Burrows tallied 168 runs but was injury affected after Country Week, while Stacey Jerrard and Jess Wake were solid all-rounders and Tia Hatch’s pace bowling was a handful. Three new players will hopefully remain as they showed promise in Tegan Brooks, Dayna Cooper and Ellie Blackmore. TOWNS Towns are steady improvers with lots of young talent, but have a long way to go. They capped off their season with successive wins including one over Sporties. Indiana Burns equalled the association’s record with 21 wickets, while Isabelle MacPherson took 14 wickets and showed she can bat well. Ruth Vorster led from the front with 172 runs and nine wickets. Her 42 in the upset win over Sporties a highlight as she took on the bowlers and won it with a brave 42 runs. Kaylee Francis recorded Towns’ best-ever bowling figures of 5-7 and had 13 wickets in all while Valencia McAuliffe, Rebekah MacLachlan and Emma Harris had impact. CHAPMAN VALLEY-NORTHAMPTON Kylie Bremner’s side did what they could and showed some promising signs. No batter made more than Alexia Wekwerth’s unbeaten 29 against Wanderers in a game eventually declared a no result after bushfires ended play. Wekwerth’s 153 runs was the best batting aggregate for the side. However, their batting stocks will strengthen as Spalding plans to join CVN as player-coach. The bowling was better with 13, 12 and 11 wickets respectively for Wekwerth, Bremner and a much-improved Tarni Screaigh.