Bacchus Marsh suffered its first loss of the Gisborne and District Cricket Association women’s A-grade season.
The competition returned to action on Sunday from the Christmas break with the Bulls facing Gisborne in a top of the table clash.
It was the Dragons, who hadn’t beaten Bacchus Marsh since returning to the competition, that got the win on the board.
Speaking before the match, coach Scott Whiteway said he expected the Dragons would be up there come the pointy end of the season.
“The match will give us a good chance to see where we are off the back of the break,” he said.
“We want to try and get some consistency and put into place along with all the stuff we had been working on in the first half of the season.
“We want to be in the best possible position come finals.”
The Bulls had just nine players on Sunday for the match with the Dragons.
They made 3-133 from their overs with Sarah Bamford finished 69 not out at the top of the order.
Gisborne made light work of the run chase, hitting the winning runs in 19 overs.
The Dragons finished 4-134.
It was single wicket takers for the Bulls.
Whiteway said the group had been finding itself after a interrupted start to the season.
“The girls have done really with a lot of new players coming in as well,” he said. “There’s a different dynamic and everyone is looking to gel.
“We’re still getting some players back from injuries and hopefully we’ll have a full side back together soon.
“Hopefully over the next four weeks we can get some consistency in the side coming into finals.”
Whiteway said the break had been timely for the group with their injuries and had helped get some players back.
While not having their best side on the park, Whiteway said they had seen it as an opportunity.
Whiteway said they had been able to maintain their core top order through the season but had to look at other options later in the order and in the bowling attack.
“We had some of the new players through right up until Christmas and they had an opportunity,” he said.
“We wanted to make sure that everyone got an opportunity and it has been really good and we’ve learned what they are capable of in certain situations.”
The Bulls face Wallan this Sunday.
In other matches, Lancefield lost to Wallan and Macedon got the win against Kilmore, which forfeited.
In the B-grade competition, Melton Centrals got the win against Broadford.
Broadford made 7-82 from its overs. Katrina Hoenig took three wickets for Centrals.
Centrals made the runs with ease, finishing 2-83.
Belinda Guiney finished 34 not out.
Centrals sit well clear in second spot.
Lancefield beat East Sunbury in the other match.
