New Tigers’ Captain, Sasha Moloney, won the toss and elected to send her side into bat. However, unfortunately her luck stopped there, when she was bowled by Nicola Hancock on just the third ball of the innings.
Nicola Carey joined Tigers debutant Rachel Priest at the crease and together the two steadied the ship, building a handy 44-run partnership before Priest’s wicket fell for 19, caught behind off the bowling of Madeline Penna.
Another two debutants in Heather Graham and Naomi Stalenberg joined Carey at the crease in succession but unfortunately with little luck, with both being dismissed for seven. However, Corinne Hall was the next to join Carey at the crease and the two settled into a rhythm. Carey went past her half century, whilst Hall chimed in with a steady 38; the pair amassing another solid partnership of 89 runs.
Whilst Hall’s wicket fell – this one caught off the bowling of Olivia Porter – Carey only increased her strike rate, racing away to her maiden List A century; which was also the first ton of the WNCL season for 2021.
Carey finished on 105 runs off 129 balls, in an innings that included 14 boundaries. Despite not batting out the innings, with only just over five overs remaining, Carey left the team in a strong position, and the Tigers finished on 9-227 after their 50 overs at the crease. A returning Emily Smith was the best of the tail with the bat, notching an unbeaten 16 runs off 14 balls.
Whilst they may not have got a wicket in the first over of their innings like the Meteors did, the Tigers still started strongly with the ball. Sam Bates got the first scalp, dismissing opener Rebecca Carter for 11 in the sixth over, and was backed up by Belinda Vakawera at the other end, who took the wicket of the dangerous Katie Mack for 15.
Enter the lady of the hour in Carey. Angela Reakes and Erica Kershaw were both dismissed for just three runs at the hands of Carey, and the Meteors slumped to 4-59 in the 21st over. Carly Leeson (27 off 55) showed some resistance, but in the end it was the pairing of Penna and Erin Osborne who truly threatened the Tigers’ total. The two built a partnership of 90 runs and stayed at the crease for more than 17 overs, before 16-year-old Amy Smith got the breakthrough her side needed, claiming Penna’s wicket for 41 runs off 56 balls.
When Moloney bowled Osborne the following over for a well made 54 off 64, the match was all but over for the Meteors. The remaining three wickets fell for 32 runs, and in the end the Meteors were all out for 207 with one over to spare.
Unsurprisingly, Carey was named Player of the Match for not only her heroics with the bat, but she also finished with figures of 3-39 off her 10 overs with the ball.
The team will now have a rest and recovery day tomorrow, before facing up against South Australia on Friday.
Play will again commence at 10am AEDT at Canberra’s EPC Solar Park tomorrow. The match will be live scored on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app.