Jade Jets 103/5 in 27.3 overs (Mariko Hill 63*, Maryam Bibi 5.3-0-24-2) beat Bauhinia Stars 102 a/o in 35.2 overs (Kary Chan 27, Keenu Gill 4.2-1-6-3, Jasmine Titmuss 7-0-22-3) by 5 wickets
The third and final game of the 2020-21 Women’s Premier League was played on 21st March at Mission Road. Jade Jets skipper Pull To won the toss and elected to field first on an overcast Sunday morning.
To’s decision was vindicated with a pair of early wickets as she held a sharp catch to dismiss Jaswinder Kaur off Iqra Sahar in the 2nd over, after which Jasmine Titmuss trapped Emma Lai lbw. Ruchitha Venkatesh and Kary Chan steadied the innings before Venkatesh nicked the first ball she received from Betty Chan to be dismissed for 5, the Stars 39/3.
Kary Chan was dismissed for 27 on the last ball of Betty Chan’s next over, falling to a clever piece of bowling, and Game 2 POTM Maryam Bibi was caught well by Mariko Hill for a 2nd ball duck. Amanda Cheung stuck around for a while, but was the 6th batter dismissed, bowled around her legs by Keenu Gill, who then ran out a hesitating Alison Siu to leave the Stars reeling at 56/7.
Connie Wong and Dorothea Chan added a much needed 32 runs, but just as she was set to tee off Wong was yorked by Jasmine Titmuss for 26. Titmuss bowled Anum with an identical yorker next ball leaving the Stars 88 for 9. Chan and Maheen Haider added 14 runs in a final wicket partnership that pushed the Stars past 100, before Gill broke through Chan’s defences to bring an end to the innings after 36 overs.
In response, the Bauhina Stars also nabbed a couple of early wickets, skipper Kary Chan dismissed her opposite number Pull To in the 4th over, and Maryam Bibi struck twice in her opening spell, trapping Titmuss lbw and bowling Keenu Gill with a peach of a delivery.
After 11.2 overs the Jets found themselves on exactly the same score as the Stars – 39/3. But Mariko Hill was hitting well dispatching every poor ball offered. She struck 11 boundaries on her way to an unbeaten 63 off 74 balls, taking the game away from the Stars in the process.
Hill added 43 with Lemon Cheung, in the highest partnership of the game, and despite a late wobble was able to ease the Jets home with 12.3 overs and 5 wickets to spare. A comprehensive win for the Jets to cap off a successful first-ever Women’s Premier League!
“Mariko Hill will no doubt open the bowling and bat in the top four. Her pace is as quick as anyone’s in associate women’s cricket. It will be great to see if she can develop her bowling at an end of an innings also.” said Director of Cricket and Women’s Head Coach Charlie Burke.