Northern Territory has claimed a historic first-ever victory at the U16 National Championships in Ballarat.
Competing in the Championships for the first time, the NT bowled and fielded magnificently against the Tasmanians before chasing down the 131 runs required to win the T20 match with three and a half overs to spare.
Leg-spinning all-rounder Trisha Bajaj was the player of the match, grabbing 4-25 with her leg-spin and making 58 runs from 51 balls as an opening batter.
Her four-wicket haul lifted her tally for the championships to 13, and she continued that form with the bat, hitting nine boundaries in a classy performance which included a match-winning 82-run opening stand with Eloise Wood (20).
And in a fitting finale, skipper Skylah Henwood from Federal Cricket Club in Alice Springs hit the winning runs with a classic off drive.
The Territory connection did not stop with their captain; Jordi O'Toole and Eimi Smith from PINT Cricket Club in Darwin took important outfield catches, while Tracy Village’s Joanna Pickett (1/15) played a role in restricting the Tasmanians to a gettable 130.
The NT's assistant coach Karl Mayne said the players were ecstatic after their first-up win in their first journey to the National Championships.
"They're ecstatic; they've really enjoyed the time they've been together, and the teamwork they showed has been something to commend," Mayne said.
"They showed a lot of resilience and energy to come out on the final day and put in their best performance at the championships."
"We really got off to a good start in the run chase, and with Eloise and Trisha, we were able to build a foundation and make the chase quite comfortable in the end."
South Australia was too strong for the NT in the morning T20 game, passing the Territory's 8-88 from their 20 overs with nearly nine overs to spare.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the NT innings started disastrously after losing a wicket on the first ball, with the bulk of the NT's 88 runs coming from the in-form Anuli Dassanayake (28), who hit four boundaries in a 35-ball innings.
The South Australians took only 11.2 overs to make the 89 runs required in their turn at the batting crease.
Bajaj grabbed her ninth wicket for the championships when she had opener Lillian Thomas caught brilliantly down the legside by Palmerston wicketkeeper Naomi McMahon in what proved to be the only noteworthy highlight for the NT side.
Overall, the NT girls can be extremely proud of their efforts in their inaugural Championship campaign, with many of the Darwin and Alice Springs locals still well under the U16 age group and set to benefit from this experience in the years to come. It is also an important step in supporting the growth and pathway opportunities for female cricketers within the Territory.
Game 7 - SA 1-89 (I Panelli 35, L Thomas 28, T Bajaj 1-16) d Northern Territory 8-88 (A Dassanayake 28, R Guliya 10, J Pickett 6, T Kennedy 2-12, M Holy 2-13, S Flynn 2-13) by 9 wickets.
Game 8 - Northern Territory 3-131 (T Bajaj 58, E Wood 20, R Guliya 14, M Stewart 2-18) d Tasmania 9-130 (M Barwick 30, SL Johns 21, T Bajaj 4-25, S Henwood 2-29, J Pickett 1-15) by 7 wickets.