Sharks loom on the horizon

Amy Yates guided the Sharks to a first-up victory against Gippsland Lightning after retiring on 30 before repeating the performance against the Barwon Rockettes in the afternoon with 31*.

After wining the toss and electing to bat, the Sharks signaled their intentions early as they set the Lightning a target of 115 from 15 overs with Lauren Wyatt (27*) proving the ideal finisher.

While Rachel Fink top-scored with 13, the Lightning could only manage 8-39, with Elly Donald (2-7) and Hannah Burr (2-4) both impressive with the ball.

The Sharks’ stellar day continued in the afternoon fixture against the Rockettes, with Sophie Strickland retiring on 20 along with Yates to lead her team to their second win.

In other Pool C matches, Gippsland Pride prevailed over South East Metro in a nail-bitter that saw the defending champions clinch a three-run victory.

However, the Pride were upset by the Central Highlands in the afternoon as Jacinta Gooder-Chandler (33*) and Emma Lynch (30*) steered their side to their opening victory of the carnival.

Pool A appears to be hotly contested with Northern Rivers and East Metro both remaining undefeated.

Having posted 1-78 from their 15 overs, the Rivers restricted the Northern Falcons to 4-68 in reply, despite Drew Barnes retiring on 31.

The 10-run win was followed up by a nine-wicket victory against the Western Waves after chasing down the target in the fifth over.

Madeleine Wright bankrolled two wins for East Metro as she retired on 30 and 31 against the Western Waves and Northern Falcons respectfully.

Batting first against the Waves, East Metro stamped their authority on the contest as Wright, Tansi Price (21) and Teagan Sheldon (15*) played a key role in securing the 25-run win.

Under-15 Victorian representative Georgia Wareham starred for the vanquished with 30 retired.

In Pool B matches, the Mallee Murray Heat need just six overs to secure a 10-wicket win against North West Wizards as they chased down a target of 55.

The Heat’s Luca Gallo top-scored with 31 retired, while Annabel Martin finished unbeaten on 16.

Due to the extreme heat, play at the Championships has been abandoned on Thursday, with Cricket Victoria to advise whether they will continue on Friday.

To see full results from the Under-16 VicSpirit Pathway Championships, click here.