THE top two run scorers in the Sunraysia Cricket Association women’s competition will go head-to-head on Friday night.
Mildura Settlers gun Shania McKinnon and Coomealla Wentworth captain Katelin Kemp will look to add to their respective tallies in the penultimate round before the festive break at George Gordon Oval.
The sixth-placed Blues are looking to catch up to the top four but have lost their past three games, however, two of those were to ladder leaders Mildura West and the other to second-placed Nichols Point Gold.
Any team that has Kemp in it however will always be a threat.
With 206 runs at 68, the club captain and reigning competition MVP is second on the run scoring charts but has also had good support from Meagan Johnston at the top of the order, while Tauta Rangiuira has been in fine form with the ball taking seven wickets.
Settlers, who are coming off the bye, have lost just the one game this season with McKinnon leading all comers with the 219 runs at 109.5 average.
Sarah Telfer has also been in cracking form with 159 runs at the same average, including an unbeaten 51 in their most recent win over Irymple, while Ella Dingwall has also impressed this campaign.
It could also be a big game for Merbein as the fifth-placed Magpies host eighth-placed Mildura East at Chaffey Park.
Merbein are equal on points with Gol Gol in fourth and as they have the round 10 bye, another win to round out the calendar year would be big.
Opener Amy Cupper is fourth in the competition runs tally with 195, co-captain Eden Trinick has had a strong all-round campaign so far, and fellow skipper Michelle Griffiths has been good with the ball in hand.
Sonia Drew has led the way with the bat for East with 81 runs, however Sienna Charles has emerged as a potential all-rounder, and Taya Higgins has been dangerous when bowling taking six wickets.
Gol Gol will look to remain inside the top four in the crowded middle of the table when they head to Nichols Point Reserve to face ninth-placed Nichols Point Green.
Megan Collihole was in fine form during Gol Gol’s nine-wicket win over East last week, retiring on 43 while also taking a wicket.
Abby and Megan Collihole each took two scalps with the former also unbeaten on 31 with the bat.
Point Green are set to play their first game in four weeks after a win via forfeit, a bye and a no result have come in their last three fixtures.
Sherri Hamence who is joint fourth in the wickets tally with seven scalps, while captain Gypsy Gange is always dangerous with bat and ball.
Finally, ladder leaders Mildura West will host seventh-placed Irymple at John Hall Oval.
The reigning premiers have done little wrong this season with an undefeated record.
Tara Martin has hit real form with the bat with half-centuries in two of her past three innings, taking her to third in the runs tally with 203, while captain Breanna Smith and Demi Zanoni are both inside the competition’s top 10.
Addison Bell has impressed with the ball with nine wickets, joint second best in the competition.
The wickets leader is Maya McGregor from Irymple, who has 10 scalps in a strong run of form despite the Swallows not having results in two recent contests.
Airlei Taylor has also impressed with her performances this season, earning a call-up to the Mallee Murray Suns under-15 girls rep side.
Nichols Point Gold has the bye.
– Mitch Rodd
