UTS North Sydney Women’s Second Grade - Back to Back Champions!
UTS North Sydney District Cricket Club | April 21, 2025
After a nail-biting semi-final win over Bankstown, the UTS North Sydney Women’s Second Grade side returned to their home deck at Tunks Park for Grand Final, ready to take on Parramatta in what would become a commanding display of cricket.
Parramatta won the toss and elected to bat first— much to the Bears’ delight. Familiar with the Tunks surface, the home side knew the pitch would give them something to work with in the first hour. And just three balls into the match, Emily Horstead sent off stump on its way, removing Parramatta’s opener for a golden duck. From there, it was all UTS North Sydney.
After three tight overs to start, Lavena Rampal struck, dismissing the second opener and sparking a collapse. The pressure mounted quickly, and in the 10th over, Lavena delivered a match-defining moment—taking two wickets in three balls to leave Parramatta reeling at 4-22. Sam Kuncham then joined the party, collecting two wickets of her own and pushing the score to a dire 6-41 for the visitors.
The spinners soon entered the scene and continued the onslaught. Emily Aiken was exceptional, picking up 2 wickets while conceding just 4 runs in a miserly spell. She was followed immediately by Miki Jenkins, who snagged the 9th wicket to keep the squeeze on. Lavena came back to polish things off in style, finishing with standout figures of 4/10 off 6.3 overs. Parramatta were bowled out for just 69. The bowlers were superb across the board, backed up by sharp and committed fielding.
POTM Lavena Rampal.
With just 70 to win, the Bears were full of confidence heading into the lunch break, enjoying a spread kindly provided by the club. Opening the chase were Emily Aiken and Bella Johnson, who got off to a steady start before Emily was dismissed in the 4th over with the score at 1-10. That brought Emily Horstead to the crease, reuniting the dynamic duo of Bella and Emily, who once again showcased their trademark composure and chemistry. Faced with some tricky, slow bowling, boundaries were hard to come by, but the pair remained patient and smart—rotating the strike, running well between the wickets, and picking off twos and quick singles to keep the scoreboard ticking.
At drinks, North Sydney were in control at 1-48. The tempo lifted after the break, and in the 25th over, it was Emily Horstead who struck the winning runs, sealing a back-to-back premiership for UTS North Sydney! Bella Johnson anchored the innings with a calm and classy 38 not out, while Horstead finished unbeaten on 22. Player of the Match was rightly awarded to Lavena Rampal for her stunning 4-wicket haul in a Grand Final to remember. It was a dominant performance from start to finish, the UTS North Sydney 2nd Grade women proved once again why they are the benchmark of the competition. Back-to-back champs!
Words - Emily Horstead
Images - Mark Williams
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