By JARROD POTTER
Victorian Women’s Cricket Association – semi final
PREMIERSHIP defence came to a close for the Dandenong Lions Women’s Cricket Club, downed by 19 runs against Box Hill on a wet-and-woolly afternoon.
It was going peachy for the Lions early – wickets to spearhead Emma Gallagher (16) and a pair for Sarah Elliott (2/9) made sure the Mustangs were off their stride.
The Box Hill middle order made the big inroads as Sarah Chancellor-Goddard (18) turned around the innings with Penny Cleghorn (12) and Bronte Stray (11). Sharomi Wijeratne (2/11) and the spin of Sophie Molineux (2/9) skittled the remaining Mustang muster and left Dandenong with a reasonable small total to chase.
The wheels fell off almost as quickly as the Dandenong innings commenced with Laura Croft (4) and captain Kelly Applebee (0) leaving the pitch instantly. Applebee copped a first-ball LBW off Anna Lanning (4/16) to put Dandenong into strife. The Lions were thrown into further chaos as Erica Kershaw (11) and Elliott (10) lost their wickets early in the chase. It left the heavy lifting to Molineux (17) and the tail as Molineux proved why she’s one of the state’s rising star cricketers. Taking the singles and batting out the overs, Molineux’s innings was 70 balls of grinding, tough cricket that would’ve impressed her Australian and Victorian representative team mates as she and Emma Gallagher (8 not out) kept pushing through the strife.
Molineux’s gutsy knock came to an end at the hands of Cleghorn and from there Dandenong could not keep at the crease, bowing out for 85 in the 42nd over.
Box Hill advances to face Essendon Maribyrnong Park in the VWCA Premier firsts’ grand final on Saturday.
