BAY OF PLENTY SENIOR WOMENS 2022/2023

Posted: Wednesday, 29 March 2023

Women's cricket is an incredibly exciting and dynamic sport that provides an excellent platform for female athletes to showcase their talent and skills. Having a women's representative team is a significant milestone in promoting gender equality in sports and providing opportunities for female players to compete at a higher level. It's awesome to see these talented women pushing boundaries and challenging stereotypes, inspiring young girls around the bay to follow their dreams and pursue their passion for cricket. By supporting and investing in women's cricket, we can create a more inclusive and diverse sporting community that celebrates and values the contributions of all athletes.

The Bay of Plenty Women’s team had an exciting inaugural season that culminated in a tri-series with Counties-Manukau and Waikato-Valley/Hamilton. Earlier in the season, the development side travelled to Hawkes Bay and performed admirably.

Led by Captain Tash Wakelin, the team comprises a blend of young talent and experienced players who relished the opportunity to play 50-over games on grass. The first game of the tri-series saw the team travel to Karaka Sports Park to take on Counties-Manukau. After winning the toss and opting to bowl, the team restricted Counties to 167/8 in their 50 overs. Bowling honours were shared by Brittany who took 3 wickets, while Grace Duncan and Tash Wakelin each took 2.

The chase got off to a great start with Wakelin and Amelia Harvey forming a 45-run opening partnership. However, wickets fell in the middle, and Wendy Horneman (20) and Macy Adams had to consolidate the innings. An unbeaten 41 by Adams, assisted by McKenzie Grant (12*) helped BOP reach their target in the 44th over.

The next game was played at Blake Park, alongside the men's team. Horneman was unable to play due to injury, and Holly Topp was also absent.

Nevertheless, their presence and help with warm-up and training were vital in building team culture. The team was bolstered by the inclusion of Nensi Patel. Unfortunately, BOP lost the toss and had to field first. Brittany Jenkins struck early, and the Waikato Valley innings never really gained momentum as wickets fell at regular intervals. Patel showed her class with the ball, taking an impressive 5 for 12 off her 10 overs. Waikato Valley was all out for 77. Wakelin and Harvey opened the batting and maintained a brisk scoring rate, chasing down the total in the 12th over. Wakelin finished unbeaten on 28, while Harvey scored 34. Being the top two run-scorers for the team.

Looking ahead to next season, the team hopes to see a regular competition structure that mirrors The Men's Fergus Hickey Competition. The inaugural season was a success, and the team will be looking to build on their performances and continue to develop their skills.

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