The ACT Meteors have gone down to the NSW Breakers in their final Women’s National Cricket League match of the summer at EPC Solar Park in Phillip.
NSW skipper Georgia Adams batted first after winning the toss, despite the early overcast conditions, and Holly Ferling made most of the moving ball early on, removing both Breakers openers to have NSW reeling at 2 for 30.
Carly Leeson removed Anika Learoyd and Erin Burns cheaply to have NSW 4-61 after 16 overs, and from there England international Adams and Saskia Horley steadied the ship for the Breakers with an important partnership through the middle overs.
Ferling removed Adams for 61, with the Breakers lower order providing handy contributions across the board. Hannah Darlington (39 off 41) and Sarah Coyte (42* off 22) upped the tempo with expansive stroke play, while Horley played an anchor role for NSW, finishing for a well-made 75 off 92 balls as NSW posted 281 from their 50 overs.
Darlington then transferred her form from bat to ball, taking the key scalps of Meteors skipper Katie Mack (9) and Paris Bowlder (15) early.
The dismissal of Mack brought Alisha Bates to the crease who started her innings strong, continuing on from her career-high knock of 66 in Tuesday's match. Bates paired up with Carly Leeson, who also started strongly, dispatching five boundaries within her first twenty balls.
The pair began to shift the scoring rate after the first drinks break to lay a strong platform for the ACT through the middle overs. But just as Bates (40 off 57) got settled and looked to accelerate, she was undone by an excellent stumping from NSW ‘keeper Tahlia Wilson to the bowling of spinner Jade Allen.
Leeson wasn’t deterred at the other end, dispatching the Breakers bowlers across Phillip Oval, only to fall short of a maiden WNCL century in the 47th over, out for 96 off 99 balls, a career best, trying to lift the run rate in the closing overs. Leeson named Player for the Match for her knock with the bat and efforts with the ball early in the day taking 3 wickets (at 14.7).
The Meteors were ultimately bowled out for 247 in the 49th over, going down to NSW by 34 runs.
Article by UC Sports Media student Oliver Nguyen