NICL – Round 4 Wrap

Men’s Round 4

Croydon Raiders remain undefeated in the Victoria East Zone after a comfortable 26 run victory over Frankston Sharks in the national live-streamed match of the week. Andrew Keane was the top scorer for the Raiders with 19 in their total of 98. In reply, Jurgen Anderson (23) and Clive Rose (18) were sold contributors for the Sharks, but Croydon’s bowling depth proved too strong.

Monash Tigers have secured their first win in the competition with a nail-biting 5 run victory over the Cranbourne Kings. A formidable opening partnership of 40 between Hugo Ferdinand and Mackenzie Harvey led the way for the Tigers in their total of 113. Needing 16 off the final over to win, Ferdinand held his nerve with the ball to keep Jason Heemetan and Pete Cassidy (17 runs apiece) at bay.

In the West, Hoppers Crossing returned to the winners list with a narrow 10 run victory over Melton Falcons. Four wickets to Shane King helped restrict the Falcons to 62 batting first, and a final pair partnership of 23 between Blair Hemmingson and Corey Clark saw the Hurricanes take the points.

Northcote Knights were too strong for the North Geelong Supercats winning 94-64. Kyle Blake starred with 23 runs, while 3 wickets for Ben Sims saw the Knights remain undefeated after their first three matches in the competition.

This Friday sees the East and West Zones combine for crossover matches at Northcote and Cranbourne.

Women’s Round 4

Monash Tigers remain the standout team in in the Victoria East Zone as they cruised to a 118-42 victory over the Northcote Pirates in the National Live Streamed match of the week. Annecy Homberg (26 runs, 4 wickets) and Stella Reid (5 wickets) played key roles for the Tigers in the win.

Springvale Seahawks were also narrow winners in the East, defeating the Falcons by 9 runs. Sonia Sachdev top scored with 23 and took 2 wickets in the win. Lorna Monk (23 runs, 2 wickets) played a key role for the Falcons.

In the West, Northcote Knights achieved a close-fought 6 run win over the Kings, 96-90. Georgia Peel made 18 runs and took 2 wickets for the Knights, while Tamzyn Wright and Izzy Webber’s 35 run opening partnership setup the run-chase.

The match of the round in the West however saw Springvale Scorpions achieve a 1 run victory over Melton. Batting first, 27 runs from Leanne Leggeri set up a huge total of 122 for Melton. Their position was further improved as Springvale trailed by 34 after their first batting pair. But it was a combined performance from Jess Adams, Laura Shaw and Lani De Jong that saw the Scorpions chase down the mammoth target on the last ball.

This weekend Northcote will play host to all four Victorian Women’s NICL matches.

For full fixtures and results – or to find out more about the Beastwear NICL – head to www.nicl.com.au

Article image courtesy of Chloe IP.