Lions hit by Mustang

Lions' opener Chelsea Moscript plays one down the carpet en route to 21. 133585 Picture: JARROD POTTER

By JARROD POTTER

WOMEN’S VICTORIAN PREMIER CRICKET – Round 15 (Twenty20)

IT WAS bleak at ground level for the Dandenong Lions (8/93) as they slumped against the rampaging Box Hill Mustangs (1/128cc).
The Lions struggled to make headway into the Box Hill order, as Rebecca Carter (61) picked up where her Mustangs team mate and Australian captain Meg Lanning usually starts off. Carter belted half-a-dozen boundaries and a whopping six at Greaves Reserve to issue the challenge to the home side.
Carter and Sarah Chancellor-Goddard (35 not out) cashed in to put on 77 for the second stand and finish unbeaten, leaving a tricky 129-run chase for the Lions.
Emma Gallagher (0/17) and Primrose Wohlers (0/17) – returning from State under-18 representative duties – were the best of the Lions’ bowling attack.
A strong start from Erica Kershaw (21) – off only nine balls – was ended by Danielle Montague (2/4), leaving the heaving lifting to Chelsea Moscript (21) and Alana King (17). The young Lions pushed the tempo along, but struggled to hit the bad ball for boundaries.
Moscript’s gutsy knock would finally end on 21 as she holed out off Madeleine Clayton (1/10), triggering another collapse as the side fell from 2/37, when King fell, to 6/60. The last innings of notable resistance came from Wohlers (16 not out) who held on to ensure Dandenong batted out its overs and made an attempt at the win.
In the second match, Dandenong’s (3/117) 2nd XI was also bested by Box Hill (3/121), despite the best efforts of captain Carin Eastburn (55 not out). Eastburn has taken her season tally to 568 runs at 81.1 in a sensational season so far.