Women’s U19 T20 Cricket World Cup: Rising Blues book tickets to Malaysia
The best NSW performers from the successful U19 National Champs in Perth have been named in the Aussie squad for next month’s Women’s U19 T20 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia. FULL SQUAD
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NSW’s dominance at the under-19 National Championships in Perth has been rewarded with four players named in the Australian squad to take part in next month’s Women’s U19 T20 World Cup in Malaysia.
Kate Pelle heads a list of three chosen from the victorious NSW Metro side, while Big Bash breakout star Caoimhe Bray gained her place after helping guide NSW Country to third spot.
No stranger on the international stage, wicketkeeper Pelle was a member of Australia’s 2023 campaign in South Africa, and with three half centuries in Perth, secured her spot with a match-winning 75 to help sink Queensland in the grand final.
St George-Sutherland pair Ella Briscoe and Juliette Morton round out the NSW contingent ahead of Australia’s opening match against Scotland on January 18.
A hard hitting all-rounder, Briscoe’s selection follows several outings for the Sydney Thunder. For Morton, a highly regarded leg-spinner, her seat on the plane comes after sustained consistency in the state pathways.
Following its opening contest, Australia play another two pool games before the playoff rounds get underway on January 24. The winner will be crowned following the final in Kuala Lumpur on February 2, 2025.
NSW METRO GRAND FINAL WRAP
Following a perfect week on the road, NSW Metro will return home from Perth with a third straight title after taking out the under-19 National Women’s Championships.
A near run-a-ball 75 from Parramatta opener Kate Pelle combined with a superb all-round bowling performance saw the Blues outclass Queensland by 82 runs in the decider at Hillcrest Park.
The victory, the eighth on the trot in as many days, replicates the deeds of the combination captained by Claire Moore that kicked off the three-peat at the WACA in 2022.
In a rematch of last season’s grand final in Brisbane, NSW once again elected to bat. Traditionally the aggressor, Pelle made a subdued start and alongside Gordon opener Olivia Callaghan (54 off 105 balls) the pair saw off the new ball before the rising WBBL star struck the first boundary in the ninth over.
Sensing a shift in momentum, Pelle found the rope three times in the 22nd over, and continued to ramp up the rate until she was bowled in 27th with the score on 127.
The 76-ball knock was the right-hander’s third fifty of the campaign, and her tournament total of 298 at 42.57 the most by a NSW player.
From there, the Blues continued to surge. Sydney’s Olivia Maxwell (44 off 58) and Slayers all-rounder Lucy Finn (43 off 38) added 77 for the fourth wicket before Emily Powell (20* off 14) rocketed the total to 6/250 in the closing overs.
Needing to score at more than five runs per over, Queensland rebounded in spectacular fashion. In 14 overs, openers Lucinda Bourke (40 off 59) and Lily Bassingthwaighte (56 off 48) steamed to 87.
Desperately needing a breakthrough, NSW turned to Callaghan (2/47, 10 overs). And following on from her mature half century, the off-spinner showed poise with ball in a player of the match performance.
Not afraid to toss it up, she enticed Bassingthwaighte to loft down the ground, only for the ball to land in the safe hands of Lucy Wilson.
The wicket released the pressure for the Blues, and the run rate continued to climb as batters quickly came and went.
Bowling lively in swing, Penrith’s Gunisha Garg (3/16, six overs) proved difficult to hit off the square and by the time she had Lilli Hamilton playing on, Queensland were 5/135 and in big trouble.
With 115 still required in 21 overs, it proved a bridge too far for Queensland who were eventually bowled out inside 38 overs for 178.
Powell (2/24) and Ella Briscoe (2/3) both chimed in with late wickets, and the celebrations began when Alexandra Mavros held onto a high ball at mid off.
GRAND FINAL SCORES
NSW Metro 6-260, 50 overs (Pelle 75, Callaghan 54, Maxwell 44, Finn 43, Powell 20*; Hamilton 2/33, Orchard 2/40) defeated Queensland 10-178, 37.2 overs (Bassingthwaighte 56, Bourke 40; Garg 3/16, Briscoe 2/3, Powell 2/24, Callaghan 2/47, Morton 1/31) by 82 runs at Hillcrest Park Lower. Player of the Final: Olivia Callaghan
In a fantastic final afternoon for the NSW sides, Country won the battle for third place with an emphatic eight-wicket victory over South Australia.
From the moment Caoimhe Bray (2/10) struck the stumps twice in the opening five overs, Country never looked back. Chloe Rosenzweig (37* off 44) posted the only double-figure score in an innings of 82 that lasted 25 overs.
Ava Drury and Sophie Parsons both finished with 3/12, while Emily Humphreys and Calle Black each took one wicket.
Kate McTaggart (26* off 31) top scored as Country reached the target in the 16th over. It was a fitting finish for the Newcastle right-hander, who finished the week with 292 runs at 58.4.
THIRD PLACE PLAYOFF
South Australia 10/82, 25 overs (Rosenzweig 37*; Drury 3/12, Parsons 3/12, Bray 2/10, Black 1/17, Humphreys 1/22) lost to NSW Country 2/83, 15.3 overs (McTaggart 26*, Tilburg 16, Mitchell 15; Maitland 2/15) by eight wickets at Hillcrest Park Upper
TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT: NSW PLAYERS
Kate Pelle (NSW Metro) - 3rd highest run scorer
Kate McTaggart (NSW Country) - 5th highest run scorer
Ella Briscoe (NSW Metro) - 7th highest run scorer
Ava Drury (NSW Country) - 2nd highest wicket taker
METRO STORMS INTO DECIDER
NSW Metro has stormed into the grand final and given itself a chance of winning a remarkable third straight under-19s national cricket championships after defeating South Australia by 58 runs at Hillcrest Park.
Top order batter Kate Pelle set the platform with an excellent 60 from 67 balls as Metro was bowled out for 209 before the bowlers put in an excellent team performance to clean up South Australia for 151.
The win gives Metro the chance to win its third championship in succession at the tournament, with the team to take on Queensland in the final on Monday.
With her team batting first, Pelle did what she has done so often this tournament by getting Metro off to a strong start with the bat.
Although the scoring rate was slow in the opening stages, with Metro at 1-39 after 12 overs, Pelle helped blast 43 from just the next five overs before she was dismissed for 60.
From here, Olivia Maxwell (29) and Ella Briscoe (34) made strong contributions to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
However a late collapse saw the team lose 7-58 to be bowled out for 210 with 4.5 overs remaining.
While Metro endured a disappointing finish with the bat, it got off to an excellent start with the ball as Lucy Finn trapped South Australian opener Elizabeth Worthley in front LBW for one in just the third over of the innings.
Metro kept applying the pressure and reduced SA to 3-41 early in its chase and then 6-78 at the halfway mark.
And while South Australia managed to string a few partnerships together, it was never realistically in the hunt as it was bowled out for 151 in the 42nd over.
It was an excellent team bowling performance from Metro, with spinners Olivia Callaghan (2-23) and Juliette Morton (2-32) doing well and Lucy Finn, Lucy Wilson, Alexandra Mavros, Ella Briscoe and Gunisha Garg all picking up one wicket each.
The result sets up a blockbuster final, with Metro to take on fellow undefeated team Queensland in the decider on Monday.
NSW Metro 10-209 (Pelle 60, Briscoe 34; Maitland 2-31, Bansal 2-33) defeating South Australia 10-151 (Hobbs 26, Larosa 21; Callaghan 2-23, Morton 2-32) by 58 runs
COUNTRY BOWS OUT IN BLOWOUT
NSW Country’s tilt at the national title has ended on a disappointing note after the side was handed a 136-run thrashing by Queensland in the semi-final.
Bowling first, Country was staring down the barrel of chasing a huge total early on as Queenslanders Lucinda Bourke (68) and Grace Collins (67) put on a 131-run stand for the second wicket. However a fightback with the ball saw Country restrict Queensland to 7-215 from its 50 overs.
Caoimhe Bray (2-19) and Sophie Parsons (2-45) both took two wickets for the side, while Ava Drury and Emily Humphreys also both chipped in with one each.
Facing a solid but chaseable target, Country was never in the hunt as the team was bowled out for just 79 inside 30 overs.
Just three players made double figures, with Samira Mitchell top scoring with 19 and Kate McTaggart making 16, as the Country line-up struggled to deal with the Queensland attack.
It was a disappointing end to what was a strong tournament from Country, who finished third at the end of the regular rounds.
Queensland 7-215 (Bourke 68, Collins 67; Bray 2-19, Parsons 2-45) defeated NSW Country 10-79 (Mitchell 19, McTaggart 16; Kahlon 4-18, Orchard 3-10) by 136 runs
ROUND FIVE WRAP
It was a golden day for NSW teams as they continued their excellent progress at the under-19 national cricket championships in Perth during round five.
In what were the first 50-over per side fixtures to be played, both Metro and Country stars piled on the runs as NSW teams completed an excellent double over Victorian opponents.
Catch up with a wrap of the action below.
TON OF RUNS AS METRO ROLLS ON
A stunning century from young star Lucy Finn has kept NSW Metro at the top of the standings after the side thrashed Victoria Country by 156 runs.
Finn starred with the brilliant 109 from just 96 balls as Metro was bowled out for the imposing total of 282, while Juliette Morton ran riot with the ball, taking 5-33 as Vic Country was cleaned up for just 126.
The victory kept Metro’s perfect run in the tournament alive, with the team sitting equal top of the table with Queensland heading into the final regular round fixture on Friday.
The tone for the day was set early by Metro opener Kate Pelle, who took on the Vic Country attack from the outset.
In a sign of how dominant she was, the 18-year-old had blasted 28 from 24 balls before opener partner Samira Dimeglio had even scored a run, with Metro scoring at seven runs an over in the early stages.
And while Dimeglio was dismissed for 11 and Olivia Maxwell bowled for three, Pelle kept swinging away before she was eventually caught off a top edge for an excellent 50 from 61 balls.
Although Metro’s chief destroyer was gone, Finn stepped up to the plate to take the innings to another level.
The 17-year-old put on a brutal display of hitting as she notched up her half-century in just 43 balls and kept Metro going at close to six an over.
Working well with the likes of Olivia Callaghan (26) and Alexandra Mavros (31), Finn hit nine fours and five sixes as she fittingly brought up her ton in just 94 balls by heaving the ball over the deep mid-wicket boundary.
And while she was eventually dismissed for 109, Metro made 282 before being bowled out with one over remaining.
Although the team had plenty of runs to defend, Metro’s chances looked a lot brighter in the first over with the ball as Lucy Wilson dismissed Vic Country opener Yashoda Senarathne with just the fifth ball of the innings.
Amid some excellent bowling, the Victorian side slumped to 4-44 after 13 overs. Hasrat Gill was a rare shining light for Vic Country, turning over the strike and proving to be a stubborn form of resistance for her side.
And while she managed to put on a 39-run stand with Matilda Pendergast, the introduction of Morton changed the innings once again.
The leg-spinner got the breakthrough in just her second over as she bowled Pendergast for 11, and then proceeded to run through the lower order.
Morton showed plenty of smarts and skill as she deceived the Vic Country batters with flight and turn to take five of the final six wickets and finish with the excellent figures of 5-33 from 8.1 overs.
The huge win extended NSW Metro’s record to five wins from five, with the team sitting second behind Queensland on net run rate ahead of the final regular round game against NSW Country on Friday.
NSW Metro 10-282 (Finn 109, Pelle 50; Diwell 6-58, Tarini 2-24) defeated Victoria Country 10-126 (Gill 62, Pendergast 11; Morton 5-33, Wilson 2-22) by 156 runs
DOMINANT COUNTRY IN BIG WIN
NSW Country has given itself a great chance of qualifying for the semi-finals after recording a comprehensive six-wicket victory over Victoria Metro in round five.
In the first 50-over clash of the tournament, Country’s bowlers set the platform for victory by ripping through the Victorian top order before star batter Kate McTaggart continued her stellar tournament with an unbeaten 76 to guide the side home comfortably with more than eight overs remaining.
The victory moves Country up to outright third on the ladder with a record of three wins and one loss, just one victory behind leaders Queensland and NSW Metro.
With one regular round match remaining before the finals, a win or tie against NSW Metro on Friday would be enough to book a spot in the final four and a shot at the overall title.
Coming into the game equal on points with Vic Metro in what was a crucial clash, the NSW side got off to a fantastic start with the ball as McTaggart knocked over Victorian opener Tegan Rule for three in just the fourth over.
Country was making it hard to score and the pressure yielded results as Emily Humphreys, Molly Dare, Ava Drury and Maddison Spence all took wickets to reduce Vic Metro to 5-51 inside 19 overs.
While it looked like the innings was set for a quick finish, Victoria’s Noura Abdul Qader and Amelie Gladman launched a fightback to put on 35 for the sixth wicket.
Just as she has done multiple times in the tournament, Drury got the breakthrough for Country with two wickets in quick succession. The left-arm orthodox spinner took 3-27 from 10 overs to remain the competition’s leading wicket taker with 12 at an average of 6.8.
However Qader did extremely to bat with the tail, finishing with a fighting 55 from 101 balls as Vic Metro did well to recover to 167 before being bowled out in the 49th over.
In addition to Drury’s three-wicket haul, Humphreys took 2-39 from 10 and Sophie Parsons 2-19 in a strong team bowling performance.
While the team had done well with the ball, it was tough going with the bat early in its innings as Country lost Ella Tilburg for two early on.
Scoring proved difficult as Country was restricted to just 1-24 from the first 10 overs on the back of some excellent bowling from Vic Metro openers Ira Aery and Zoe Samuel.
However Samira Mitchell and McTaggart took advantage of the bowling change and started to get the scoreboard ticking over nicely before Mitchell was stumped for 21 to leave the side at 2-49 in the 15th over.
This brought Parsons into the middle with McTaggart as Country kept the momentum flowing.
In a controlled partnership, the pair continued chew into the target with some smart batting and excellent stroke play.
They pushed the score beyond 100 and were closing in on a century partnership when Parsons was caught and bowled for a well-made 45 from 73 balls.
There was to be no twist in the tail though as McTaggart and Hayley Zauch went past Vic Metro’s target in the 42nd over to seal the six-wicket win.
It was the second game in a row that McTaggart guided the side home in a run chase, with the Newcastle star finishing with an unbeaten 76 from 105 balls. She has now remarkably top scored for Country in four of its five games and moved to the top of the tournament’s runscoring charts with 197 runs at an average of 65.7.
Victoria Metro 10-167 (Qader 55, Dulvin 18; Drury 3-27, Parsons 2-19) lost to NSW Country 4-171 (McTaggart 76*, Parsons 45, Mitchell 21; Rule 2-36) by six wickets
ROUND FOUR WRAP
There were contrasting emotions for NSW teams as both Metro and Country continued their campaigns on day two at the Women’s Under-19s National Championships in Perth.
After both sides won their two T20 fixtures on the opening day of competition, Country faced Queensland and South Australia, while Metro met the ACT before taking on Vic Metro in the afternoon.
Catch up with a wrap of the action below.
BATTLE OF THE HEAVYWEIGHTS
In a battle of the unbeaten heavyweights, NSW Metro proved far too strong for Vic Metro in their round four clash on Tuesday afternoon.
Improving with every outing, the Blues surged to title favouritism with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory built on a disciplined bowling performance that left the Vics defending a modest 5/104 from 20 overs.
Apart from opener Samara Dulvin (53 off 60), no other Victorian could manage more than 12.
Although wicketless, Lucy Finn applied the pressure from the outset conceding five runs from three accurate overs of medium pace.
Ella Briscoe (1-15) struck the first blow before the Vics were strangled by spin. Between them, Olivia Callaghan (1/21) and St George-Sutherland’s Juliette Morton (0-10) conceded 31 in seven overs.
One of the standouts from last season’s U16s nationals, Sydney all-rounder Emily Powell (3-15) chimed in with three late wickets from as many overs, and was unbeaten on 19 when the Blues rounded their fourth victory in the 16th over.
Any chance of a comeback was quickly snuffed out by Big Bash youngsters Kate Pelle (41 off 38) and Briscoe (15 off 18), who took command with an opening stand of 55 from eight overs.
COUNTRY COMEBACK TRIGGERS FINAL-OVER WIN
After staring down the prospect of chasing a huge total, NSW Country has put together a remarkable recovery to beat South Australia in a final-over thriller in round four.
After winning the toss and electing to bowl, Country was in trouble for much of South Australia’s innings as opening batters Ilona Melegh and Eleanor Larosa put on a stunning 97-run stand at better than a run a ball.
However an excellent fightback with the ball and a quite brilliant performance from top-order batter Kate McTaggart saw the NSW side pass South Australia’s total of 118 with four balls remaining.
In a game between two teams with the same record of two wins and one loss, it was South Australia who started brighter as Melegh and Larosa got to work early.
The pair blasted 66 from the first 10 overs and continued to score at more than six an over as they approached a 100-run stand.
Having scored 97 from the first 15 and a half overs, South Australia looked on track for a big total before Country seamer Maddison Spence finally got the breakthrough when Melegh was caught at deep mid-wicket for an excellent 48 from 50 balls.
The wicket helped to slow scoring down as Newcastle representative Spence took another later in the over to finish with 2-12 from three overs and continue her outstanding tournament. After four rounds she is sitting second in the wicket-taking lists with eight scalps at a remarkable average of just 3.9.
Country’s other outstanding performer with the ball, left-arm orthodox spinner Ava Drury, also chimed in with another two wickets to move to the top of the bowlers’ rankings with nine dismissals as the team restricted South Australia to 5-118 from its 20 overs.
Although the team did well to slow South Australia down, Country still required a run a ball to chase down the target. Openers Samira Mitchell and Sophie Parsons got the team off to a strong start as they regularly found the boundary in the early overs.
The pair scored 38 from the first six overs and worked their way to 40 before Mitchell was caught at cover for a well-made 20 from 28 balls.
Fortunately for Country this brought star batter McTaggart to the crease. The team’s most in-form batter of the tournament took control of the innings in no time with some lovely boundaries as the scoreboard kept ticking along.
At one stage she hit three fours in a row as Country moved to 90 before Parsons was dismissed with the final ball of the 14th over for 23.
And while scoring did slow down for a couple of overs, with some late wickets adding some extra tension to the game, McTaggart teamed up with Caoimhe Bray (14) as Country belted 26 runs from the final 20 balls to go past South Australia’s total with four balls remaining and five wickets in the shed.
It seemed fitting that McTaggart brought up the win with a slashing drive for four through cover as she finished with 54 not out from just 41 deliveries to move into fourth on the list of leading runscorers so far in the tournament.
The victory pushed Country into fourth on the ladder ahead of Wednesday’s first 50-over fixture.
ROUND THREE WRAP
METRO RECOVERY MISSION
After a perfect Monday, Metro headed north to Breckler Park where they made it three straight with a 61-run win over a dangerous ACT.
The win looks simple enough on paper, but at 3/13, it was hardly a walk in the park after Amy Hunter ripped open the top order with a lethal opening spell.
Staring in the headlights of their first defeat, Olivia Maxwell and Emily Powell weathered the right-arm speedster’s onslaught before lifting the pace in a fourth wicket stand of 52.
Composed and up for a fight, the Sydney teammates rotated the strike at better than a run-a-ball until Maxwell lost her stumps playing across the line for a well made 33 off 38 balls.
With the repair work done the scene was set for Ella Briscoe, and the rising Thunder master blaster joined Powell to take the game away from ACT.
In nine overs, the duo cleared the rope on three occasions in a punishing partnership that yielded 75 runs.
In a chaotic last over, Powell launched a Stella Wilde slower ball over the long-on fence to bring up a well deserved 50 off 41 deliveries. Briscoe (38* off 28) doubled down, clearing the mid-wicket boundary to propel Metro to an impressive 5/141.
Needing early wickets to extend their unbeaten streak, St George-Sutherland’s Lucy Finn pulled a rabbit from her hat with the seventh ball of the innings.
After falling to a contentious LBW dismissal earlier on, Finn’s day brightened when the right-armer had Brieanna Dillon looping a catch to Eliza Henry at point.
ACT’s hopes rested on the blazing blade of Grace Lyons (22 off 15), who despite the early set back found the boundary on four occasions until she became Briscoe’s second victim in the fifth over.
The runs dried up with the dashing right-hander’s departure and the match quickly faded as a contest as the ACT rounded out the 20 overs on 7/90.
In addition to Briscoe’s 2 for 5, Penrith’s Gunisha Garg (1/15) and Gordon’s Olivia Callaghan (1/14) joined Finn with one wicket each.
COUNTRY BROUGHT BACK TO EARTH
After a dominant opening day NSW Country has been brought back to earth with a 25-run loss to Queensland in a top-of-the-table round three T20 clash in Perth.
After bowling well to restrict its opponents to 9-102 from their 20 overs, Country struggled to combat the excellent Queensland attack and finished on 9-77.
The loss came on the back of two strong victories against PNG under-23s and the ACT on day one as Country entered the game on top of the ladder, ahead of Queensland on net run rate.
Fresh from her debut professional season with the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL, Country star Caoimhe Bray set the tone early on with some excellent fast bowling.
The 15-year-old was proving hard to hit and got the first breakthrough when she dismissed opener Lily Bassingthwaighte in the third over.
Queensland continued to build at a decent rate until off-spinner Emily Humphreys was introduced into the attack.
The Central Coast representative picked up three wickets in three consecutive overs to turn the momentum of the innings.
From here, Newcastle quick Maddison Spence and left-arm spinner Ava Drury both got among the wickets as Country’s bowling slowed the run rate down to restrict Queensland to 102 from its 20 overs.
Humphreys finished with the best figures of 3-13 from four overs, Spence continued her strong tournament by taking 3-14 while Drury took 2-21.
With a very chaseable target ahead of them, Country got off to a tough start with the bat as opener Samira Mitchell was dismissed for just two and Queensland’s bowlers made it difficult to score.
However Kate McTaggart came in and got things going with some wonderful stroke play. With the same fluency she showed on day one of the tournament, the Newcastle batter helped lift the run rate before skewing a shot to cover to be caught for 23 from 30 balls.
Unfortunately for Country the wicket triggered a mini collapse, with Sophie Parsons dismissed for 16 and star player Bray caught and bowled for just two in consecutive overs to leave the side struggling at 4-47 in the 12th over.
From here it only got worse as Country lost regular wickets to finish on 9-77 from its 20 overs.
DAY ONE WRAP
It was a strong start for NSW sides as the under-19s Women’s National Cricket Championships kicked off in Perth.
Coming in as back-to-back defending champions, NSW Metro survived a final-over thriller in its first game before completing an undefeated day while Country got off to a strong start as both sides played two T20 matches.
Catch up with a wrap of the action below.
BIG GUNS FIRE FOR METRO
Some of NSW Metro’s big guns have stepped up to the plate to give the side a perfect start to the tournament.
Fresh from playing professionally in the Women’s Big Bash (WBBL), top-order batters Ella Briscoe and Kate Pelle showed their class with some stunning performances with the bat.
Chasing 113 for victory in the team’s first T20 game against South Australia, the pair opened the bat and dominated the chase, with Briscoe scoring 39 and Pelle 46.
Despite their strong start, the game nevertheless went down to the wire, with Metro requiring five to win from the final over.
After the team scored three runs in four balls, there was another late twist as Pelle was run out at the non-striker’s end.
Trailing by one run with one ball remaining, Metro’s Emily Powell came up with the goods by belting the ball out to square leg for two to cap off a thrilling six-wicket win on the final ball.
It capped off a crucial game from Powell, who earlier took 2-7 from three overs with, while Olivia Callaghan (2-23) and Lucy Wilson (1-7) were also impressive.
While Metro survived a scare in its first game, it didn’t leave its second clash to chance with a 59-run thumping of Western Australia.
Batting first, Briscoe was once again on fire as she dominated the bowlers, belting 13 fours and one six en route to a stunning knock of 78 from just 56 deliveries.
Powell continued her strong day with 28 from 23 balls as Metro set the daunting total of 6-162 from 20 overs.
In reply, Western Australia was never in the hunt as the team finished its 20 overs on 6-103.
Opening bowler Lucy Finn got Metro off to a blinder by taking the wicket of WA opener Ines McKeon with her first ball before finishing with the excellent figures of 2-6 from three overs.
Jessica Robertson, Karina Bell, Olivia Callaghan and Alexandra Mavros all took one wicket each as Metro wrapped up a strong opening day.
COUNTRY OFF TO A FLYER
It was a similar story for NSW Country, who found plenty of early form to jump to the top of the table after day one.
In what was a dominant start to the tournament, Country kicked off its campaign with a 79-run thrashing of PNG’s under-23s team before knocking over the ACT by 69 runs.
The batters laid the platform in both games, with Country chalking up strong team totals of 141 and 142, respectively, to be the highest-scoring day after the opening two rounds.
Smashing 62 from just 50 balls, opening batter Samira Mitchell was the star for Country in the first game against PNG, with the 19-year-old from Taree belting eight boundaries in an impressive display of hitting.
She well supported by her opening partner, Armidale’s Sophie Parsons, who peeled off 35 from 37, and Callee Black (17 from 14 balls) as Country posted the impressive score of 5-141 from its 20 overs.
With a strong total to defend, the Country side made no mistake with the ball, bowling PNG out for just 62 in the 17th over.
Central Coast fast bowler Tara French got the ball rolling early by taking the wicket of Esther Vagi in the first over before finishing with the impressive figures of 3-10 from 3.2 overs.
In what was a strong team bowling performance, fellow Central Coast representative Ava Drury caused havoc with her left-arm orthodox tweakers, ripping through PNG’s middle order as she took 4-9 from three overs.
In the second game against the ACT it was Newcastle’s Kate McTaggart who took charge, belting four sixes and two fours as she scored 42 from just 26 balls.
Meanwhile, fresh from making her WBBL debut, Caoimhe Bray hit 32 from 28 balls as Country finished on 8-142.
The Canberra side simply wasn’t able to match Country’s firepower as it was bowled out for 73 in the 18th over.
McTaggart continued her form with the ball, claiming a couple of key top-order wickets as she finished with figures of 2-6 from three overs.
Drury extended her lead at the top of Country’s wicket-taking list with another two scalps, taking her to six for the day, Monique Krake claimed a pair while Maddison Spence took the best figures for the innings with 3-5.
The victories leave Country on top of the table after the two opening rounds, equal on points with Queensland, Victoria Metro and NSW Metro in what was a strong start to the tournament.
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