Women's Cricket in Australia - CBA WNCL 2005/6

News

Commonwealth Bank Women's National Cricket League

For the third time consecutive season, the finals series has taken 3 matches to decide the champions with the NSW Breakers emerging victorious.

Below are reports on each match from the Cricket Australia website (www.cricket.com.au)

3 February, 2006
Breakers go one up

The New South Wales Breakers have powered to an eight-wicket victory over the Queensland Fire in the opening Commonwealth Bank Women's National Cricket League final at North Sydney Oval on Friday.

Queensland won the toss and elected to bat first, but a blistering Breakers attack saw the visitors bowled out for just 174.

The hosts had the Fire on the back foot early with a damaging opening spell from Sarah Andrews seeing the visitors slump to 3-17.

Kasee Marxsen came to the crease and settled the ship for Queensland, smashing 72 from 113 balls, with Belinda Matheson also contributing well with 27 from 30, and Judith Coleman adding 25 from 27 in a last-ditch effort to push ahead.

Andrews finished with 3-35 from her 10 overs, while Emma Liddell (2-13), Julie Hayes (2-42) and Nicole Goodwin (2-36) all picked up a pair of wickets.

The Breakers' opening pair of Leah Poulton and vice-captain Alex Blackwell gave the home side the best possible start, forging a domineering 85-run opening partnership before Matheson scored the breakthrough with the wicket Blackwell (50 from 51). But the foundation was laid and with Michelle Goszko adding a quick 48 from 47 before being dismissed only 7 runs short of their target, NSW had little trouble reaching the target.

Poulton remained unbeaten on 70 from 126 in a brilliant knock that included five fours.

4 February, 2006
Queensland levels WNCL finals

Queensland Fire has made it one-all in the Commonwealth Bank Women’s National Cricket League Finals Series, defeating the NSW Breakers by three wickets at North Sydney Oval.

Chasing 155 to win, the Fire won in the 46th over after a blistering start to their run chase, taking 26 from the first six overs before Emma Liddell removed Fire Captain Melissa Bulow well caught at slip by Sarah Aley for six.

The Queenslanders then suffered a major collapse losing 5-44, before Fire wicket-keeper Jodie Purves put in a match winning knock of 61 not out. Purves hit four boundaries from 108 balls and was well supported by Angela Murnane (nine off 41) and Megan White (20 from 28).

Emma Liddell took two for 40 from eight overs for the Breakers.

Earlier Queensland won the toss and elected to bowl and the Breakers were under early pressure.

Alex Blackwell was run out for three and when Michelle Goszko was caught off the bowling of spinner Belinda Matheson for one, the Breakers were two for nine after seven overs.

Leah Poulton and Lisa Sthalekar added 61. Poulton was dropped on 20 before eventually being dismissed for 28 from 77 to give Jude Coleman the first of her five wickets.

Coleman struck again when she trapped Kate Blackwell lbw for a duck, leaving the Breakers at 4-77 in the 28th over.

When Martha Winch was run out for two, the Breakers were in further trouble at 5-87 in the 31st over. Three runs later Coleman trapped Sarah Aley leg before.

Sthalekar played a defiant captain’s knock making 53 off 95 balls, but just as she was setting herself to be there at the end of the innings she was out caught.

A late partnership from wicket-keeper Jenny Wallace (32 from 52) and fast bowler Sarah Andrews (nine not out) gave the Breakers a competitive total of 154.

5 February, 2006
Breakers edge out Fire

The NSW Breakers have won a thrilling Commonwealth Bank Women's National Cricket League Finals Series, defeating Queensland Fire in the deciding third final by two runs at North Sydney Oval.

Chasing 147 to win, the Fire was bowled out in the 48th over for 144, rookie Charlotte Anneveld the hero for the Breakers, taking 4-29 from six overs.

Queensland lost its last three wickets for one run, when it needed only four to win.

Anneveld took two wickets in the second last over before Sarah Andrews clean bowled Megan White to claim a stunning win for the hosts.

The visitors got off to a good start, with the openers Melissa Bulow and Belinda Matheson sharing a first wicket stand of 47 in 12 overs before Matheson (24) and then Louise Broadfoot (0) fell in consecutive overs - Julie Hayes and Lisa Sthalekar striking for the home side.

Hayes struck again three runs later to give her 2-13 from her opening spell of six overs.

When Fire skipper Melissa Bulow was run out for 25, the Fire was 4-58 in the 22nd over and in danger of collapse.

But Game Two match-winner Jodie Purves and Julia Price turned the match again in Queensland’s favour, with a 59-run stand.

Just as the Queenslanders seemed to be heading for victory, Price was trapped lbw by Charlotte Anneveld for 28 and Purves was bowled by Sthalekar for 37 just 28 runs short of the target.

Next over Anneveld took a good caught and bowled to dismiss Tina Brown to leave Fire reeling at 7-122 in the 43rd over.

Megan White (13) and Jude Coleman (7) almost steered Queensland to victory before Anneveld and Andrews sealed a thrilling victory.

Earlier the NSW Breakers won the toss and elected to bat but for the second day in a row the Breakers were under early pressure.

The home side slumped to 4-40 after 17 overs and was bowled out in the 49th over for 146.

Skipper Lisa Sthalekar (39 from 91 balls) and wicket-keeper Jenny Wallace, elevated in the batting order (31 from 61), were the only batters to make an impression.

Medium pacer Jude Coleman was the best of the bowlers for Queensland, taking 4-28 from 8.4 overs while spinner Belinda Matheson was very tight early, completing her ten overs for the figures of 1-18.

The win caps the eighth title in ten seasons of the competition for the NSW Breakers.

The Breakers were the form team all season but had to work extremely hard to overcome an in-form and committed Queensland outfit in the best-of-three finals series.

Jude Coleman from Queensland was named Player of the Finals.

WNCL: 10 years old

As this is the 10th season of the WNCL it's time to have a look back at what has been achieved.

NSW are the only team to have played in every finals series with 7 titles from 9 attempts. Victoria won the other 2 titles (2002/3 & 2004/5) from 6 attempts.

This will be Queensland's second finals series after losing 2-0 to NSW at Bankstown in 2000/1. SA (1997/98) and WA (1999/00) have both made one finals appearance.

The first match of the WNCL was played at North Sydney Oval between NSW and Victoria on 16 November 1996 (Victoria won by 6 wickets with 20 balls to spare). The current finals series will be the first time since that opening match that the WNCL has returned to North Sydney.

There have been 215 matches played in the history of the WNCL - the first final will be NSW's 100th match.

The current playing record for each state is:

• NSW - 99 matches: 78 wins, 1 tie, 20 losses
• Queensland - 77 matches: 25 wins, 4 no results, 48 losses
• SA - 79 matches: 36 wins, 2 no results, 41 losses
• Victoria - 94 matches: 56 wins, 1 tie, 1 no result, 36 losses
• WA - 81 matches: 15 wins, 1 no result, 65 losses

WNCL Records*:

Career

• Most Matches - Julie Hayes (97)
• Most Runs - Belinda Clark (4074)
• Most Wickets - Cathryn Fitzpatrick (123)
• Most Dismissals by a 'keeper - Julia Price (92)
• Most Catches by a fielder - Belinda Clark (56)

Season

• Most Runs - Zoe Goss (629 1996/97)
• Most Wickets - Julie Hayes (19 2004/05)
• Most Dismissals by a 'keeper - Julia Price (16 2004/05)
• Most Catches by a fielder - Belinda Clark (9 1999/00)

* A more comprehensive list of records can be found at here

Finals Preview 2005/6

• NSW have an 18-1 advantage over Queensland - their only loss occurred in October 2000 when Queensland won by 2 runs with 1 ball remaining in NSW's innings.
• NSW come into the finals having won their last 2 matches while Queensland have won their past 4 matches, including comprehensive defeats of defending titleholder Victoria.
• NSW comfortably defeated Queensland in both round matches, securing bonus points in each match.

NSW Breakers
Sarah Aley, Sarah Andrews, Charlotte Anneveld, Alex Blackwell, Kate Blackwell, Leonie Coleman, Nicole Goodwin, Michelle Goszko, Julie Hayes, Sara Hungerford, Emma Liddell, Leah Poulton, Lisa Sthalekar, Jenny Wallace & Martha Winch.

Queensland Fire
Laura Bates, Louise Broadfoot, Tricia Brown, Reanna Browne, Melissa Bulow, Angela Christie, Judith Coleman, Danielle Hollis, Kate MacGibbon, Kasee Marxsen, Belinda Matheson, Angela Murnane, Kirsten Pike, Julia Price, Jodie Purves, Rikki-Lee Rimmington & Kirby Short.

SA Scorpions
Caroline Atkins, Lucinda Bragg, Kris Britt, Alica Dean, Lauren Ebsary, Neisha Iles, Sara Jameson, Jo-Anna Kenney, Fiona McDonald, Angela Mortiz, Shelley Nitschke, Rebecca Pollard, Karen Rolton, Emma Sampson, Lisa Walker, Jess Weidenhofer, Joanne Wilson & Julie Woerner.

Victoria Spirit
Kelly Applebee, Sarah Edwards, Cathryn Fitzpatrick, Jane Franklin, Rachael Haynes, Amelie Hunter, Julie Hunter, Emma Inglis, Melaine Jones, Claire Lavery, Brooke McFarlane, Emily McIntyre, Tammy Norquay, Megan Pauwels, Clea Smith & Karyn Winterton.

Western Fury
Helen Andrews, Patrice Berthold, Nicole Bolton, Carolyn Bradley, Hannah Burr, Renee Chappell, Avril Fahey, Zoe Goss, Angele Gray, Holly Hyder, Peta Merrilees, Rachel Reynolds, Lauren Shave, Lauren Stammers, Kelly Tyrrell & Robyn Williams.

WNCL Draw 2005-06

Points Table

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Current Season Statistics

WNCL Records | All Players, Season 2005-06| Player Career Stats

TOP BATTING STATS

Runs                 Average                Strike Rate
(min 200)            (min 200/30.00)        (min 200/50.00)   
K Rolton (S)    553  K Rolton (S)    92.17  K Rolton (S)    84.00
M BUlow (Q)     454  K Blackwell (N) 54.50  K Blackwell (N) 82.33
A Blackwell (N) 422  M Bulow (Q)     41.27  M Bulow (Q)     76.50
K Blackwell (N) 327  S Nitschke (S)  41.00  A Fahey (W)     68.50
L Poulton (N)   325  A Fahey (W)     38.67  K Marxsen (Q)   67.00
S Nitschke (S)  287  A Blackwell (N) 38.36  M Goszko (N)    67.00
M Goszko (N)    265  A Gray (W)      35.29  A Blackwell (N) 63.17
L Sthalekar (N) 264  L Sthalekar (N) 33.00  S Nitschke (S)  63.00
L Broadfoot (V) 261  L Poulton (N)   32.50  L Sthalekar (N) 60.00
A Gray (W)      247  K Marxsen (Q)   32.14  J Price (Q)     59.83
J Purves (Q)    245  J Woerner (S)   32.00  L Broadfoot (Q) 58.67
A Fahey (W)     232                         L Poulton (N)   57.67
M Jones (V)     230                         M Jones (V)     54.83
K Marxsen (Q)   225                         J Woerner (S)   52.50
J Woerner (S)   224                         A Gray (W)      52.17
J Price (Q)     201

TOP BOWLING STATS

Wickets                Average                  Economy Rate 
(min 9)                (min 9/max 25.00)        (min 40 overs/max 3.50)
E Liddell (N)     19#  C Fitzpatrick (V) 16.45  L Sthalekar (N)  2.82     
J Coleman (Q)     18   E Liddell (N)     18.05  K Pike (Q)       3.15
S Andrews (N)     16   J Coleman (Q)     18.44  R Rimmington (Q) 3.24
B Matheson (Q)    15   S Andrews (N)     18.81  K Rolton (S)     3.25
L Sthalekar (N)   14   N Goodwin (N)     20.64  J Hayes (N)      3.35
R Chappell (W)    11   L Sthalekar (N)   20.93  J Franklin (V)   3.35
C Fitzpatrick (V) 11   R Chappell (W)    22.09  C Smith (V)      3.38
N Goodwin (N)     11   B Matheson (Q)    24.13  S Andrews (N)    3.49
J Hayes (N)       11   C Smith (V)       24.30
C Smith (V)       10
S Nitschke (S)     9
K Rolton (S)       9

# equals National League record

TOP WICKETKEEPING - FIELDING

              Ct St Total                  Ct       
J Wallace (N) 12  1  13    K Britt (S)      8
C Bradley (W)  6  0   6    A Blackwell (N)  8
C Lavery (V)   3  3   6    N Bolton (W)     6
J Price (Q)    6  0   5    M Winch (N)      6
J Purves (Q)   3  3   6    K Applebee (V)   6

PARTNERSHIPS

1   153    M Bulow (118) / J Purves (54)       Qld v SA   06/11/05
2    93*   S Nitschke (60*) / K Rolton (62*)   SA v WA    21/01/06
3   115    K Rolton (141*) / K Britt (52)      SA v NSW   18/12/05
4   128*#  Z Goss (72*) / A Fahey (59*)        WA v Qld   18/12/05
5    89    K Blackwell (82*) / M Winch (27)    NSW v Vic  08/01/06
6    72    K Blackwell (102) / S Aley (37)     NSW v SA   18/12/05
7    52    T Brown (63) / A Murnane (10)       Qld v NSW  04/12/05
8    52*   J Woerner (52*) / F McDonald (19*)  SA v WA    22/01/06
9    33    T Norquay (50) / E Inglis (11*)     Vic v SA   19/11/05
10   18*   E Inglis (11*) / J Hunter (11*)     Vic v SA   19/11/05

* denotes unbroken/not out
# National League record

For more information and stats on Nationals, check out the Nationals/WNCL section under All 'n Sundry....

Past WNCL Results:

2004/2005 Results 2003/2004 Results 2002/2003 Results 2001/2002 Results
  2000/2001 Results 1999/2000 Results 1998/1999 Results
  1997/1998 Results 1996/1997 Results