Sunday saw the Lakers take to the field against Shepparton Youth Club United in the final round before the Christmas break, and yet again Nagambie proved far too strong, earning a 70-run victory to keep its perfect record intact through eight rounds.
Hosting SYCU at Nagambie Recreation Reserve, the Lakers won the toss and skipper Kayla Shepherd elected to bat, striding out to the middle alongside Sharay Slivarich, and it didn’t take long for the boundaries to start flowing.
Consecutive balls found the rope to start the second over off Shepherd’s blade, as the home side raced to 15; however, Slivarich would soon be trudging back to the pavilion, caught for one off the final ball of the second over.
While taking wickets is the aim, SYCU might have regretted Slivarich’s dismissal, as it brought Madison Albers to the crease alongside Shepherd, reuniting the star Nagambie duo out in the middle, and they didn’t miss the opportunity.
The pair have been in incredible touch recently, earning the call up to the Vic Country side for the Australian Country Cricket Championships in Adelaide’s Baroosa region in January, and Sunday’s exploits proved no different.
In the 6.4 overs they were at the crease together, the duo piled on 49 runs; however, unlike previous occasions where the pair have gone on to salute half-centuries, both Albers and Shepherd were back in the sheds with less than 10 overs bowled, Albers having her stumps rattled on 28, while Shepherd retired unbeaten on 35.
With the Lakers two wickets down with 70 runs on the board, the middle order stood up, displaying the depth Nagambie has at hand, with Sandy Ezard and Amber Langham, batting at number six and seven, both contributing valuable runs, retiring not out on 17 and 14, respectively, while number eight Kait Carracher finished unbeaten on 14, powering Nagambie to a total of 5-133 from 20 overs.
It would be an absolute rout with the ball, too, as the Lakers tore through the SYCU batting lineup to claim a seventh win on the trot.
Opposition skipper Lia Beecroft (31 not out) aside, none of the visitors had any answer in the face of some economic Nagambie bowling, led by Ezard and Albers, who claimed figures of 2-4 and 2-5, respectively.
Slivarich was also tidy, nabbing 1-5, as the Lakers restricted SYCU to 5-63 after 20 overs to claim the mammoth win, preserving a 10-point lead over Mooroopna at the top of the table.
The win also assures the Lakers of a top-two finish and double chance heading into finals, given they now hold a five-win advantage over third-placed SYCU on the ladder, with only four games remaining before finals.
Nagambie will return to action after the break against Kyabram on January 10, with a first-up road trip to Kyabram Recreation Reserve.
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