THE semi-finals of the 2021/22 Women’s Premier 1sts competition produced quite different results, but we still have our two Grand Finalists for this season.

Melbourne beat Box Hill in a very comfortable fashion, and they will face Grand Final debutants Carlton next weekend in the decider, after bad weather played in their favour.

Melbourne vs Box Hill

Melbourne’s great season has been richly rewarded, as the Demons defeated Box Hill to make it to the Grand Final.

Batting first, the Mustangs did not get off to a great start, when their opening partnership was only 19 runs. From there things didn’t get much better for the Mustangs.

The Dees were just able to take wickets far too regularly and the Mustangs were not able to put partnerships together of more than about 15 to 20 runs.

Eventually the Dees bowled the Mustangs out for only 113 in the 44th over. Anna Lanning‘s 27 was the highest score for the Mustangs, while only three other batters made double figure scores.

Meanwhile for the Dees, Anna O’Donnell, Hayleigh Brennan, Hasrat Gill and Ella Hayward all picked up two wickets. A target that small was never going to be much of a challenge for the Dees, and ultimately it wasn’t. They only needed just over 22 overs to reach the target, and did so while losing only the one wicket.

Rhiann O’Donnell ultimately smashed about half the target herself, making 60 not out. Meanwhile the one wicket the Mustangs were able to take was taken by Ashling O’Farrell.

Carlton vs Ringwood

Carlton has advanced through to the Victorian Women’s Premier Grand Final after the wet weather rule came into play. It mean unfortunately for equal first-time finalists Ringwood, the Rams did not actually get to take the field in their first finals series.

Unfortunately due to the rain Melbourne experienced on Friday, the ground at Princess Park was still too wet and not suitable to play on, so the match was abandoned with before a ball was even bowled.

The rules state that whoever finished higher on the ladder at the end of the regular season moves on to the Grand Final and there will be no replay next weekend. Since Carlton finished second and Ringwood third, that means it was be the Blues who move on to the Grand Final at the expense of the Rams.