Teenage Bundaberg allrounder Lucy Hamilton confirmed her status as a rising star of women’s cricket to guide Sunshine Coast to the Katherine Raymont Shield title last week.
The 14-year-old was named player of the final as Sunshine Coast claimed a five-wicket win over hosts Gold Coast in the Queensland Premier Cricket competition at Robina.
Lucy, a Year 9 student at Shalom College, was one of three Bundaberg locals in the team, along with Tarah Staines and Taylor Stumer, backing up after winning the Bundaberg under-16 grand final with Waves the previous day – a clash in which Lucy was also named player of the match.
A fourth teen talent who plays in the local competition, Grace Collins, was also an integral part of the Scorchers side.
Grace was a star in the Maryborough team which lost the Bundaberg under-14 grand final, topping the season batting aggregates for the division with 443 runs at an average of 49.22 and finished eighth in the bowling aggregates with 15 wickets at 5.07.
Gold Coast Dolphins amassed 9-178 from their 50 overs with their captain and Queensland Fire representative star opener Georgia Redmayne top scoring with a rapid-fire 41 before she was caught by Taylor.
Lucy opened the bowling and claimed 1-44 from her 10 overs, while Tarah, who lives in Monto but whose family travel many kilometres for her to play in Bundaberg and for the Scorchers every week, came on as the fourth change bowler and picked up 2-6 from her three overs.
Tarah then completed an excellent double by opening the batting and helping lay the foundations with a polished 37.
Lucy, who came in at No. 5 with the match in the balance at 3-83, then guided them home with eight overs to spare, racking up seven fours and one six in an unbeaten 57, combining with Grace, who contributed 27, in a match defining fifth wicket partnership of 62.
Taylor came in next and faced just three balls before Lucy struck the winning runs.
The Scorchers had no Queensland representative players, but they did have a group of determined and talented up-and-comers in their maiden season in the top women’s competition in the state.
In the one-day competition, Lucy scored 301 runs at an average of 33.44 and snared 19 wickets at an average of 13.79.
She was asked initially to fill-in on a Sunshine Coast U15 team a few years ago, and she has gone on in leaps and bounds since then.
It has also been a big commitment by her parents Steve and Claire, who transport her to Maryborough every second week for training and to Sunshine Coast or Brisbane on Saturday afternoons after her morning games for Waves, to play for the Scorchers every Sunday.
Lucy’s goal is “to play at a high level of cricket when I’m older and hopefully just continue and keep going in my career”.
Rugby league
The Bundaberg Broadcasters A and reserve grade premierships will make a welcome return after last season was cancelled due to COVID with triple-headers in both grades at Salter Oval tomorrow.
A grade is shaping as the most even competition in years, with all six teams assembling impressive lists.
Four of the clubs having new or returning coaches, Andrew Hamilton (Brothers), Brent Kuskey (Easts Magpies), Dan Sommerfeld (Wallaroos) and Chris Trevillion and Jacob Blanke (Hervey Bay Seagulls).
Corey Tanner is again at the Wests Panthers’ helm, with Antonio Kaufusi in charge of Waves Tigers for the sixth year in a row, including the doomed last season.
In A grade, the Tigers and Seagulls will raise the curtain on the season at 1pm, followed by Magpies versus Roos at 3pm, before Brothers start their title defence against the Panthers, at 5pm.
In the U16 Cyril Connell Challenge, Wide Bay Bulls battled out a 16-all draw with Central Capras in Maryborough last Saturday after leading 12-4 at half time.
The Bulls continued to struggle in the U18 Auswide Bank Mal Meninga Cup, belted by the Capras 46-0.
The U18 Bulls will now take on Western Mustangs in Toowoomba tomorrow, but the younger Bulls do not play again until April 10.
Meanwhile, Bundaberg Junior Rugby League will warm up for the start of their season on April 18 with a Nines Carnival at Salter Oval this Sunday, starting at 9.30am and running through to the last game at 4pm.
Surf life saving
Elliott Heads and Bundaberg clubs each have many medals chances at the Surf Life Saving Queensland 2021 Senior and Masters State Championships at Tugun from today through to Sunday.
Action got under way with heats this morning and runs non-stop over the three days, including a twilight Beach Sprints and Flags program.
Football
Brothers Aston Villa are expected to power on at the top of the Wide Bay Premier League men's table when they host last placed Sunbury Blues in the third round of the competition at 6pm tomorrow.
The only other Premier Men’s match in Bundaberg for the round is at the same time at Martens Oval, with last year’s League champions Bingera determined to bounce back from their first-up 3-0 loss to United Park Eagles (UPE), when they take on the much improved Diggers, who have lost their first two games but have been very competitive in each.
Across The Waves, who defeated Sunbury 9-0 in the first round before having the bye, may find it tougher when they travel to meet unbeaten joint-leaders Fraser Flames, while the winless SC Corinthians head to Maryborough to take on Granville, who edged out Diggers before going down to KSS Jets by a solitary goal.
There is only one match in the Premier league Women’s division in the Rum City, with ATW to feel the might of UPE at Martens Oval at 6pm.
AFL
The struggling Brothers Bulldogs face a virtual mission impossible when they host the all-conquering Across The Waves Eagles in the seventh round of the AFL Wide Bay Takalvan’s Women’s Premiership tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Gympie Cats also face a monumental task when they host second placed Hervey Bay Bombers.
The local AFL focus will be at Shalom College on Sunday with the Bundaberg Juniors Come and Try Day from 9am and the Wide Bay Youth Girls AFLX Come and Try for ages 14-16. For more information on both activities, phone Kieron Hyndman on 0439 721874 or email Kieron.hyndman@afl.com.au
Hockey
After all teams hit their straps with two rounds of trial matches, Waves Cities will start their Bundaberg Division 1 Women’s title defence with a grand final rematch against Raiders/Rovers at 3.10pm at Hinkler Park tomorrow.
The two clubs’ men then meet at 4.30pm.
A bumper program starting at 9.30am will culminate in All Blacks beginning their quest for five straight division 1 men’s titles when they do battle with Arrows/Athletics at 7.10pm after their women square off at 5.50pm.
Touch
Good luck to all teams in the Bundaberg Junior Touch Association grand finals at Greg Duncan Fields tonight.
There will be six games at 6pm, before presentations for those divisions, and the remaining four games at 7.20pm, culminating in the Under-17 mixed decider where Tsunamis will unleash their fury against the might of Hurricanes.
Horse racing
Bundaberg champion King Claus returned to the winners’ list, taking out a 1000m open handicap at the night meeting at Caloundra last Friday.
After finishing sixth over 1200m at his previous start on the same track, the five-year-old led throughout in a field which was reduced to three with six scratchings due to the Heavy 10 track, taking his record to seven wins, three seconds and one third from 13 starts and pushing his prize earnings so far to just over the $100,000 mark.
His trainer Gary Clem still has no special plans for him, saying he will “just look around for another suitable race for him down that way”.
Greyhounds
Savuro restored a 50 per cent winning ratio, posting his 17th victory in 34 starts for Howard trainer Allen Kelly in the Best 8 event at this week’s Bundaberg meeting.
Meanwhile, after being unplaced at his first 23 starts over the past six months, Rocky Who finally broke through in the Maiden for Redridge trainer Narelle Mulcahy.
Three other district trainers were also successful on the program, Stephen Bland with Cambla Doll (mixed 4th/5th grade), John White with Burn Out (mixed 3rd/4th grade), and David Raines with Magic Sue (masters 5th grade).
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