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Central Districts Under 19 has finished runners-up at the tightly contested 2022/23 Gillette Venus Women's Under 19 National Tournament, just a single point behind new champion, Wellington.
It was another very strong tournament this year for CD who had headed in as the defending champions, having won this trophy twice in three years.
The team started with a hiss and a roar in the one-dayers, then bounced back from an oh-so-close, nailbiting last-ball loss to Auckland to head into the three T20 matches back in winning mode.
CD swept aside Northern Districts, Wellington (an especially vital victory) and Otago to finish unbeaten in the T20 section over the last two days, but Wellington held a one-point lead heading into the last match, and only needed a win against out-of-contention ND to lift the trophy.
It wasn't to be for CD this year, but the team performed outstandingly with both bat and ball, while captain JESSIE HOLLARD backed up her batting with six catches behind the stumps.
Wairarapa's young star EMMA McLEOD finished as the top runscorer of all teams at the national tournament with 322 runs at 64.40, and was one of just two batters to score a century - her unbeaten one-day 100 not out against Canterbury, in a key seven-wicket win against the early leaders that also saw GRETEL FAIRBROTHER snare a stunning five-wicket bag.
CD became the first team to down the hosts, then charged up the table from fourth to second spot.
ABBY TREDER and JESSIE HOLLARD both finished in the tournament's top 10 runmakers list and while McLeod hit the most boundaries with 53 across the week, Hollard hit the most sixes.
Fairbrother finished as one of the top three wicket-takers at the tournament with 12 wickets, her best of 5-36 and both Fairbrother and ANIELA APPERLEY had an outstanding time in the field, each making three runouts.
Central Districts Cricket congratulates all the team and coaches on another impressive showing at Nationals - well played!
2022/23 RESULTS
Emma McLeod & Gretel Fairbrother
Article added: Saturday 10 December 2022