Elliot Stevenson
North Hobart has opened its Women’s CTPL T20 premiership defence in stellar fashion, defeating Clarence twice yesterday.
The Demons were able to defend a score of 123 in the first match, before chasing down Clarence’s total of 111 in the second.
Coach Stefanie Daffara was jubilant with her side’s performance throughout both matches.
“It was awesome,” she said.
“I was impressed with how we set the total in the first game.”
“Traditionally we’ve chased a lot, so it was nice to [set] really well in the first game back this season.
“It was just really nice to be back out on the park after what feels like a really long preseason.”
In the first game, Melodie Armstrong starred with the bat, making 45 off just 47 balls.
Despite the effort of Clarence’s bowling duo of Stephanie Nichols (3/17 off 3 overs) and Catherine How (3/21 off 3 overs), North Hobart finished 8-123.
An economic team bowling performance, highlighted by five individual wicket-takers, saw the Demons restrict the hosts to just 7-108 off their 20 overs, falling 15 runs short.
The bowling lineup of North Hobart, eager to impress again, held the Roos to 111 in the second match.
Figures of 2/12 off 4 overs for Clare Scott and 2/19 off 4 overs for Ella Marsh displayed their dominance with ball in hand.
Still with a respectable target to chase, and struggling at 3-38, Scott was once again impressive, alongside the ever-dangerous Shelby Leonard.
The two had a 74-run partnership to guide the reigning premiers to its second victory of the day.
Daffara championed her young side.
“I thought [Clare Scott] bowled really well today,” she said.
“And Shelby Leonard.
“She went out there and got us in a good position with the bat.
“It was also really great having a lot of the young players who have been on the fringe for a couple of years step up.
“Maggie Rogers bowled a pretty good spell in the first game.
“It is really good to see that group clicking so well even with state players unavailable, so exciting times ahead for us.”
North Hobart takes on Greater Northern next week in another double-header of T20 action.
In the men’s competition, the Greater Northern Raiders continued their winning ways following a dominant 218 run win over South Hobart-Sandy Bay.
The Raiders saw three batsmen reach half-centuries, with Tom Dwyer (72 off 107 balls), Brayden DeVries (53 off 55 balls), and Billy Stanlake (56 off 22 balls), all reaching the milestone.
Stanlake piled on the misery for the Sharks, hitting 8 sixes in the latter part of the innings to take his side to 321.
A cutthroat bowling performance, including Dravid Rao’s 3 for 4, ensured South Hobart-Sandy Bay could only post 103 in response before being bowled out.
New Town has flown to the top of the CTPL One-Day ladder as a result of their 101-run victory against reigning premiers Kingborough.
The Bucks were under heavy pressure in the first innings, sitting at 6-79, thanks to a fired up 4-34 from Knights captain Thomas Martyn, but were able to steady the ship and put up a competitive total.
A gritty, determined 136-run partnership from Jesse Willmott (77 off 114 balls) and Caedan Maladay (70 off 77 balls) brought their side from the very brink of collapse to the relative safety of a score of 6-215 after 50 overs.
The prospect of Kingborough’s chase never seemed likely, as the hosts lost wickets in clumps, and New Town’s bowlers refused to give an inch.
Mitch Owen (3/8 off 5 overs) and Joseph Graham (3/29 off 6 overs) administered much of the damage.
A thrilling, yet low-scoring match between Clarence and University was perhaps the highlight of the weekend in the men’s competition.
The restricting and punishing young bowling attack of University kept the Roos to just 133 on their home soil.
Louis Smith (3/22 off 9 overs) and captain Param Uppal (4/36 off 10 overs) proved to be a devastating combination of spin and seam for the Lions.
At 6-78, Clarence was closing in on its first victory of 2024-25, but again it was 19-year-old Louis Smith who stepped up, this time with the bat.
Smith (45 off 83 balls) top scored for the match and navigated the young Lions to victory.
Lindisfarne also won its first game of the new season, taking down Glenorchy by 94 runs at Lindisfarne Oval on Saturday.
Harshtik Bimbral was the star with the bat for Lightning, hitting 6 fours and 3 sixes on his way to 70 off 80 balls.
Posting a score of 200, the game was still well and truly in the balance, with Glenorchy’s well-documented hitting prowess.
In need of a hero, Lindisfarne turned to the ever consistent Keegan Oates, and become a hero he did.
Oates took 6 for 22 off his 10 overs, including 5 maidens, playing a huge hand in Glenorchy’s dismissal for just 106.