With undefeated top side Mooroopna enjoying its bye — while several of its members suited up for the intra-club Kym Sugars fundraising friendly — everyone else had the opportunity to make up some valuable ground.
At the front of the queue was Nagambie, who was tipped to make a big statement against Cooma on a weekend where it was ladies to the front in the Goulburn Valley’s south.
Kait Carracher’s side produced all that and more.
Cooma’s bowlers had very few answers as all four of Nagambie’s top order uncorked balls with aplomb, collectively retiring not out as openers Kayla Shepherd and Madison Albers combined for 58.
Their departures only further rubber-stamped the hosts’ excellence as Carracher and Breanna Davison would also each walk off on their own terms with 59 more between them.
Sophie McDonald and Breanna Baker were able to obtain at least a slice of joy through two quick dismissals in the innings’ dying stages, but 143 represented an enormous task ahead for the visitors.
McDonald continued to fight on with the bat, notching a couple of boundaries before she was found short of her crease by Carracher and Albers on 16.
Hers would be the only double-figure tally in the order as Nagambie’s bowlers put the anchor on and never let go, removing six batters for just four runs to close the day out with a barnstorming 101-run result.
Elsewhere, Moama was able to move firmly clear of the up-and-down inconsistency from the first half of its campaign courtesy of a solid home win over Shepparton Youth Club United.
Lia Beecroft’s two-over bowling spell yielded a tremendous return of 3-4, but Delaney Laffy could not be stopped with a pounding unbeaten 53, including 10 boundaries, as the border outfit moved to a 7-4 record via a 24-run victory.
Echuca too would continue on its merry way at the expense of bottom side Kyabram in an all-Campaspe affair which required two changes of venue on the morning of the game due to pitch conditions.
Once the action could finally get going, the reigning premiers proved far too strong as Marli Hollamby scooped a sensational five-for in her side’s 95-run trouncing.
The other completed game saw Rochester overcome Katamatite using less than half of its allotted overs after skittling the Tigers for just 32, while play between Bamawm-Lockington United and Nathalia was abandoned before conclusion.
With a fortnight to play, the Cats are still 12 points clear, though Nagambie’s emphatic result has bolstered its superior run rate.
The Lakers’ clash with Shepparton Youth Club United this weekend, sitting fourth after defeat to Moama allowed Echuca to move up, will thus be of the utmost importance.
