Colts and Marist to clash in Bunbury & Districts Cricket Association women’s first-grade preliminary final

Colts and Marist will meet in the Bunbury & Districts Cricket Association women’s first-grade preliminary final this weekend, with a spot in the grand final against Donnybrook on the line. Colts lost the qualifying final to the ladder-leaders by 28 runs at Egan Park on Sunday, but have the double chance due to finishing in the top two. Chasing a total of 5-145, the visitors never truly recovered from a slow start that saw them slump to 3-7, despite the best efforts of Emma Bresser (37 from 52 balls). Marist ensured their season stayed alive with a three-run boilover against Leschenault in the elimination final. In a high-scoring thriller at Leschenault Recreation Reserve, Marist managed to defend their total of 170 despite another excellent innings from the competition’s leading run-scorer Hollie Perkin (73 from 68 balls), with captain Gabrielle House conceding only three singles from a final over from which the Green Caps required seven. The two regular season contests between the teams have seen a pair of stunning bowling performances, with Colts bowling Marist out for just 45 in their seven-wicket win in round two and Marist returning the favour by routing Colts for the exact same score in round seven. Lily Finlay and Addison Hall — who both have 13 wickets for the season — lead a well-rounded Colts bowling attack, but their batting will lean heavily on their leading run-scorer Bresser, who has accumulated 136 runs at an average of 34 this season. House shapes as Marist’s major player, having scored the third-most runs in the competition with 206 at an average of 22.89 and claiming 10 wickets at 13.4 apiece, while Katie Ernst carried her bat in a knock of 49 not out from 88 balls in the elimination final.