Cowra cricketer Karly Woods has played a key role in the Country Cricket NSW Plan B Country Bash Grand Final, helping the Western Outlaws secure a hard fought win over the Central Coast Rush in a thrilling decider. The grand final marked a major milestone for Woods, who admitted the scale of the occasion hit her as soon as she arrived at the ground. “My first thought was when I turned up to the field, I was like, holy dooley, this is massive,” Woods said. “It was also surreal as well, because so many professionals have played there and it’s one of the best fields you can play on.” Batting first, the Western Outlaws were placed under early pressure after losing wickets in the opening overs. Woods entered the match in the middle order, with a clear role to steady the innings and rebuild momentum. “We batted first and I guess that put a bit of pressure on us,” she said. “I went out to bat and my job was to just get out there and get the run rate back up.” With the Outlaws having just lost a key batter, Woods worked calmly alongside her teammates, focusing on rotation of the strike rather than big shots. “We just pushed some quick singles,” she said. Woods remained unbeaten at the close of the innings, finishing on nine not out from 11 deliveries, guiding the Outlaws through the latter stages alongside Aimee Longhurst as wickets continued to fall around them. The team eventually posted 122 runs from their allotted 20 overs, a total that would prove enough. The backbone of the innings came from Kira Churchland, who produced a standout knock of 52 from just 36 balls, including six boundaries. Her fluent innings anchored the Outlaws’ total and allowed the middle order, including Woods, to play with composure under pressure. Despite tight bowling from the Central Coast Rush, the Western Outlaws rebuilt through the middle overs, with Woods showing patience, sound shot selection and awareness of the game situation late in the innings. Extras also played a notable role in pushing the total into competitive territory, highlighting the fine margins of the contest. Defending their total, the Outlaws delivered a disciplined fielding performance, applying constant pressure as the Central Coast chased the target. “Once the innings were finished, the other team batted and we just defended hard on them,” Woods said. “Our fielding was consistent.” The match came down to the final moments, with the Central Coast Rush needing just a handful of runs to claim victory. “By the end of the game, I think they needed three to win and we kept them under, so we won the game,” Woods said. The grand final victory capped off a strong Country Bash campaign for Woods, whose selection in the decider reflected her continued development and growing impact at representative level. For the Cowra cricketer, the experience was both a test and a highlight. “It’s one of the biggest fields, really well maintained and just an unreal experience,” she said. Woods’ contribution in the final underlined not only her composure under pressure, but also the depth of talent emerging from regional cricket, with Cowra once again represented on a major stage.
