Towns suffer collapse as Sportsmans stay top, while the Wanderers punish the Rams in Women’s Cricket League

The Women’s cricket league began their 30-over rounds on the weekend as Sportsmans and Wanderers posted wins to stay one and two atop the ladder. Sportsmans kept their Young Motors Women’s Cricket League lead with a 38-run win over Towns in a T30 game at GBSC3 on Sunday. Sporties had first use after Jo Walker won the toss and elected to bat with Walker ensuring a steady start to the innings before Jessica Wake fell to Ruth Vorster with 26 on the board. From there, Sportsmans kept losing wickets at regular intervals with that opening partnership being the biggest for the innings. Walker fell for 15 caught and bowled to Janelle Phillips before Sarah Prickett was trapped in front shortly afterwards. Belinda Burrows top-scored with 16 while Isabelle Macpherson added some valuable runs at the end to push the score to a respectable 8-127. Janelle Phillips (3-22) and Michelle McDonald (2-17) bowled well but Towns will be disappointed with the amount of freebies given out, bowling 21 wides and eight no balls. Towns got off to a brisk start thanks to a 45-run opening stand between Ruth Vorster (31) and Diranee Kirby (17), with Vorster the aggressor with four boundaries as Kirby was happy to anchor and rotate the strike. They were going at a good clip over four runs an over before Hayley McGlynn trapped Kirby in front with Walker bowling Anzel Van Niekerk for a duck. She then had the dangerous Vorster caught and once Janelle Phillips fell to Stacey Jerrard they fell into a heap. Towns lost all 10 for 44 runs to be bundled out for 89 with captain Michelle McDonald (13) the only other batter to cross double figures. Hayley McGlynn (4-13) was superb with support from Walker (3-26). In the other match, Wanderers smashed CVN in a 117-run win. CVN batted first after coming off a near-historic low of 29 last week but aside from Kate Clarkson (18) and Kylie Bremner (22) there was minimal resistance as CVN were all out for 72. Ashlyn Thompson (4-6) was brilliant as was Sam Biddiscombe (3-4). Wanderers replied with 8-189 but that was still flattering to the Rams as Wanderers retired three batters to give others a hit. Olivia Bidwell (55) and Biddiscombe (29) were among the retirees while Layne Gillingham (45), one to watch, might have joined them but was run out. Bremner (2-19), an admirable cricketer who never gives up, was the best of the bowlers but the Rams look well off the pace so far this season.