WNCL: Top of the Table Clash has New South Wales on top

By Helen Maynard-Casely

Round 5 of the WNCL kicked off today with South Australia hosting Victoria and NSW Breakers hosting Queensland Fire as the competition moves closer to the pointy end. At the other end of the round, the States will see cameos from contracted Australian players as they seek time on the park ahead of the series against India starting later this month. In Adelaide, Annabelle Sutherland returned to Victoria and joined newly minted national captain Sophie Molineux. Victoria, still desperate for a first win of the season, were denied by a South Australian team once again powered by Megan Schutt, Darcy Brown and Tahlia McGrath – the latter taking Player of the Match and a welcome return to form.

But our main story was above the Barrasi line and further north. A cloudy day greeted players today in the Dharug country at NSW’s Cricket Central. Queensland, encouraged by Jess Jonassen’s return to the side, won the toss and decided the gray weather might favor their bowling. NSW fielded a similar side to those who traveled to Canberra for the previous round, only switching between two veterans, with Georgia Adams coming out in favor of Samantha Bates.

Openers Tahlia Wilson and Alyssa Healy came into bat and started very conservatively, with the first boundary coming only after the fifth over. Both saw the power play until Healy was caught by keeper-captain Georgia Redmayne off Jonassen’s bowling, for 28 runs off 48 balls. Jonassen followed this up by taking the wickets of Wilson and Ellyse Perry, but not before they had both contributed to the total, especially Wilson with 46. The damp conditions, peppered with some light drizzle, may have buoyed the Queensland bowlers as they strangled the run rate through the middle overs.

However, Wilson’s wicket troubled Katie Mack, who persevered through the lean runs and formed an excellent 130 partnership with Clare Moore to strengthen the backbone of the innings total. Each spell from the Queensland bowler came and went as the total steadily rose. So determined was the partnership that when Sianna Ginger’s bowling took Mack’s leg stump, there were no cheers from Queensland. Just a frustrated shout and jump from Mack himself (reminiscent of Master Kogah for a Zelda fandom crossover) – away for 95 runs. In Mack’s absence, Moore continued in the same vein, losing only her wicket as she went in search of more runs in the 49th century.^e about. The NSW breakers completed the 50 overs with 7/309, their highest total yet at home ground Cricket Central. Jess Jonassen was the favorite of the Queensland bowlers on her return, bowling her 10 overs for 58 runs conceded and three wickets.

Looking back at the 10 matches NSW have played at Cricket Central, they have never been defeated after posting over 300 (the joy of small stats, this has actually only happened once). So hoping to defy that statistic, the Queensland batters walked to the crease as the sun broke through the cloud. As the humidity dropped, they hoped to reach the target of 310. But that was soon challenged, in the third over Breakers captain Lauren Cheatle took two wickets, first Mikayla Wrigley LBW, and then next bowling Lauren Winfield-Hill. They brought Jonassen to the crease to join the remaining opening batter, Georgia Redmayne, and scored quickly to ensure the total remained in play. A spell of tight bowling from Sarah Coyte put an end to that and resulted in her bowling Jonassen for 26.

Redmayne was left to battle on and was ably supported by Annie O’Neil who came into bat in the 20th over. O’Neil executed deliveries all over the park and even grounded for a 6. But just as the 6th wicket partnership looked dangerously close to catching up on the run rate, Coyte induced another twist in the game – bowling a double wicket maiden in the 32nd over – taking the wickets of O’Neil and Hancock. Ruby Strange had a fantastic stroke, showing little fear of the NSW bowling attack and hitting big. Once again Queensland’s hopes began to rise, and after Redmayne feared she had run out of batting partners earlier, she was able to push on to get her century between wickets.

But time and running speed wait for no woman, and the chase for runs spelled Queensland’s downfall. First Strange pushed her luck too far and was caught deep at mid-wicket by Lauren Cheatle off the bowling of Sam Bate. Then, just two balls after her century, Redmayne’s shot was caught on the boundary as she looked for four elusive runs. 10 balls later, Queensland’s innings was over for 224, giving NSW victory, a bonus point and certainty at the top of the WNCL standings.

Helen (Crystallized cricket) is a writer based in the land of Dharug and Gundagarra, and here he writes about a game played in the land of Dharug. She acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands from which she writes.