Geraldton’s A-section title defence is over following three losses in the women’s country week tournament in Peel last weekend.
The reigning champions sit third with one win against the Southern Scorpions, which came on Sunday morning following Saturday’s losses to Peel and Bunbury Red.
Geraldton did claim a 32-run win over Southern Scorpions, who won the toss and sent Geraldton in to bat.
Shyanne Thomas-Mirrielees opened the batting against her former side, the pair of openers falling in the first over. Captain Olivia Bidwell then fell for a golden duck two balls later.
However, Abby Green steadied the innings notching up 26 runs, receiving support from Belinda Burrows to set up a 37-run fourth wicket stand.
Scorpions’ Zara Clements was prolific with the ball, taking 3-14 in her four overs.
Geraldton’s second innings reply went to plan, with Isabella Macpherson bagging a five-wicket haul, her figures 5-27 from 3.4 overs.
Ashlyn Thompson and Thomas-Mirrielees chipped in with two wickets each, restricting all but Holly Pearce to runs in single digits.
However, they were unable to back this up on Monday morning, succumbing to a 47-run loss to West Pilbara
Geraldton elected to bowl first, with Tia Hatch finishing 2/11 as the fielding was sharp, with Green, Thompson and Indiana Burns each snagging a run out. Ashleigh Faneco fired 30 runs off 10 balls.
The second innings was one Geraldton would rather forget, as batter reached the double-digits mark, after being bowled out by their opponents for 33 runs in the 10th over. Burns and Thomas-Mirrielees top scored with eight.
In Saturday’s games, Geraldton lost in the 18th over after winning the toss and electing to bat.
In the opener against Peel, Geraldton saw out their 20 overs to finish 8-85, with a solid opening partnership between Spalding and vice-captain Ruth Vorster seeing them to a solid 20-run first wicket partnership.
Spalding was dismissed for 14 runs, while Olivia Bidwell and Shyanne Thomas-Mirrielees made 12 runs, but Tia Hatch top scored with 16 runs off 28 deliveries.
Peel’s Isabelle Portier took 4-22 from her allocated four overs.
Geraldton came out firing after innings break, with Thompson taking opener Olivia McSweeney’s wicket with the second ball — the first of Thompson’s four wickets, who notched up sensational figures of 4-16.
From there, Geraldton kept Peel’s batters to runs in the single digits, with only Poorva Gaur, making more than 10 runs. She brought up 25 runs in 51 balls to guide her side to a four-wicket win.
The afternoon had last year’s grand finalists go head-to-head, with Bunbury clinching to a seven-wicket win.
Thomas-Mirrielees had a sensational 35-run knock and helped push Geraldton to 7-90 off 20 overs.
Vorster and Spalding put on 23 runs in another strong opening partnership before Vorster was dismissed for 10 runs. Bunbury bowler Ella Harrison took 3-10 in her four overs.
With 91 runs to chase, Bunbury opener Matilda Richings owned the crease and knocked 51 runs from 55 deliveries before being caught behind off Thompson’s bowling.
Geraldton’s B-section side also won one game, — a six wicket win on Sunday morning against Bunbury Blue. Returning batter Amanda Gundry made 21 runs, while Alexia Wekwerth took 3-11.
On Saturday morning, Gundry and Wekwerth starred again, making 19 and 34 runs against Busselton Margaret River, who eventually won by five wickets. Vice-captain Tarni Screaigh took 3-16.
Peel Maroon were too good for Geraldton on Sunday afternoon, taking a 36-run win after making 9-83.
On Monday, Geraldton fell four runs short against Bunbury White, with Gundry again starring with the bat, making 34-not out, as Kylie Bremner and Kaylee Francis took two wickets.
