By Elliot Stevenson
North Hobart’s quest to defend its women’s T20 crown continues on Sunday, as the Demons host New Town in a pair of white-ball matches at the TCA Ground.
Playing-coach Julia Cavanough is cautiously optimistic about her side’s start to the season, conceding that the Demons’ best cricket is ahead of them.
“I think it's been good,” she said. “We probably actually haven't played our best cricket yet, but we've been lucky in a few games.
“Last week was rain affected and we were lucky to have some of our girls perform really well and get us off to a pretty good start.
“We definitely know that there are some very good opponents out there, Kingborough showed that in the first week we played them that we weren't quite up to their standards.
“Hopefully we can start playing our best cricket and string some really good performances together.”
Despite not being at their best, the Demons have begun the season 4-1, sitting atop the T20 ladder undefeated in that competition.
The off-season addition of Josie Rose from Kingborough has proved influential, with Rose averaging 77 with the bat and causing headaches for opposition bowlers.
Cavanough commended Rose on her impact since rejoining the club she played for two years ago.
“Josie very much knows the way she plays, and she goes out there and she hits the ball,” she said. “Sometimes it comes off as it obviously has this season.
“Sometimes it doesn't come off, but we're happy for her to play the way she wants, and we'll back her and give her the chance to hit the ball hard.
“We try to not worry about any kind of consequences and hope that the rest of our side can kind of fall in behind her if she does that up the top of the order.”
North Hobart has also been bolstered by the rapid rise of young bowler Mackenzie Stewart, who has taken 12 wickets at an average of just 10.25 so far this season.
Stewart took all three wickets against the Greater Northern in last weekend’s rain-affected opening T20, form that coach Cavanough is thrilled to witness.
“She's super young and she definitely has impressed us this season,” she said. “Last season she had a great year as well playing second grade and this year, she's definitely stepped up and bowled in lots of different scenarios already.
“She's opened the bowling in some games and she's bowled first change, but she just bowls this really nice stump-to-stump great length and it's really hard to get away.
“She [also has] some really good changeups and she's really composed. She holds herself quite well against every opponent that we've been up against so far. I don't foresee that changing at all, she's only going to improve.”
The Demons face New Town this weekend, a side who remain undefeated across all formats in 2026-27.
“I don't think we change anything that we've done in the past, but we know that New Town are looking a very strong side this year,” Cavanough said.
“We're going to have to put our best foot forward and be really on for those games.
“Otherwise, I know that this season, I think the games are going to be a lot tighter than they were last year.
“We're really going to have to step up to the plate and try and match that intensity throughout the season and get ourselves in a good position early.”
Elsewhere, the Greater Northern Raiders host both Kingborough and Clarence at Windsor Park in Launceston on Sunday.
Either the Raiders or Clarence will have a first win on the board post-weekend, while Kingborough is aiming to keep its perfect record to start the campaign in tact.
The Knights have been the surprise packet of 2026-27, sitting on top of the ladder in their second year since rejoining the first grade competition.
In the men’s competition, a huge eight-game slate of CTPL action is headlined by a tight tussle at the top.
Ladder leaders and reigning Kookaburra Cup premiers the Greater Northern Raiders head south on Sunday to take on the fierce challenge of Clarence at Kangaroo Bay Oval.
The Roos will be fresh off a game at University Oval against the Lions on Saturday and will need to be at their best to get the chocolates in both encounters.
Uni, meanwhile, host local rivals South Hobart-Sandy Bay on Sunday, with both sides searching for wins in order to remain in-touch with the top four.
The Sharks have a challenging weekend, with the in-form New Town Bucks set to make their way to Queenborough on Saturday.
Bucks’ pair Josh Hartill and Jai Lemire have been in sparkling form for Peter Di Venuto’s side and will be a major hurdle for both the Sharks and Sunday’s opponent Lindisfarne to overcome.
Lindisfarne welcome the Northern Magpies to Anzac Park on Saturday as it aims to make a top four case early in the season.
The Magpies are on the road all weekend, as they head to the Twin Ovals to face Kingborough and its three-pronged pace attack featuring playing-coach Tom Martyn, Alex Vincent, and Josh Henley.
The trio are all averaging under 16 with the ball so far this season, and face the Magpies as well as North Hobart on Saturday at the TCA Ground.