ESSENDON-Maribyrnong Park's connections were on song with the ball and in the field as Vic Spirit trumped the NSW Breakers to win the Women's T20 final at Etihad Stadium last Thursday.
Long-time Moonee Valley resident Emma Inglis, who plays at club level for Brunswick Park, captained the side while EMP players Kristen Beams, Emily McIntyre and Molly Strano all played in the nine-run win.
The Spirit completed a hat-trick of national women's T20 titles with the win and rolled a NSW team that had been unbeaten this season in the shortest format of the game.
But Victoria always had a degree of control over Thursday's contest, albeit after arresting an early slump with the bat to post 7-143.
A superb fielding display strangled the NSW bats and held the Breakers to 9-134 in reply.
English recruit Danni Wyatt made 39 and took 3-23 in her player-of-the-match winning role.
The Spirit were in early trouble when Elyse Villani was run out by a direct hit and Meg Lanning caught at short fine-leg.
Jess Cameron (50) and Wyatt shared a 91-run stand after Victoria fell to 2-9, and set the platform for quick runs at the end.
Inglis was the most inventive of the Spirit batters in the dying overs, pulling off both a ramp shot and fine reverse sweep for four.
Strano, McIntyre and Beams didn't get to bat but were all important in the bowling innings, with Beams catching dangerous NSW opener Leah Poulton to make the score 2-28.
Beams (0-29) bowled her full four overs and was quick at the stumps to run out NSW top scorer Alex Blackwell for 41, while Strano caught NSW veteran Lisa Sthalekar off McIntyre's bowling at deep mid-wicket.
Wyatt and Hempenstall (3-22) were entrusted with bowling the final overs; the latter claimed all her three wickets as NSW lost 6-18 trying to increase their run rate.
McIntyre finished with 1-20, took a catch and effected a stumping.
It wasn't all good news for the Vic Spirit though as the team lost by 70 runs in the Women's National Cricket League final to NSW in Sydney on Saturday.
Victoria sent NSW in and was met with a battery of runs as the hosts made 7-310 off 50 overs at the SCG.
Victoria's best bowler was Julie Hunter who took 2-39, while Essendon-Maribyrnong Park players Emily McIntyre (0-43) and Kristen Beams (0-39) both failed to take a wicket.
Victoria got off to a good start in its chase with Elyse Villani (75) and Jess Cameron (46) getting the score to 2-175. But Villani's wicket triggered a collapse which had Vic Spirit all out in the 42nd over for 240.
McIntyre offered some resistance from No.10, making 22, while EMP players Kristen Beams (6 not-out) and Molly Strano (6) came in at the bottom of the order with the game already gone.
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