Former Australian captain Meg Lanning makes brilliant 80 for Victoria

The former Australian captain left no-one in any doubt that she remains a class above most despite retiring from international cricket.

Meg Lanning dispelled any notion of a dwindling appetite for cricket peeling off a sterling unbeaten innings of 80 in her first outing since a break from the game which followed the legendary Australian captains’ shock retirement call.

There had been fears the former Australian captain would be lost to cricket when she stepped away midway through the WBBL season to take a third personal leave from the game for the third time in 18 months.

That came less than two weeks after the announcement that she would retire from international cricket.

But Lanning, 31, returned to training with her Victorian teammates last week and on Tuesday came in at number three for her team in the WNCL 50-over game at the Junction Oval in Melbourne against the ACT Meteors.

Meg Lanning = class 🙏#vicsdoitbetter#WNCLpic.twitter.com/Wj8eRLEGUA

— Victorian Cricket Team (@VicStateCricket) January 16, 2024

Coming in at 1-85, with her team chasing just 196 for Victoria, Lanning played like she hadn’t missed any cricket, whacking 11 boundaries in a peerless innings of 80 off just 60 balls in a romp to victory. Nicole Faltum hit the winning runs and was unbeaten on 60 as the Vics won with nine-wickets and 22 overs to spare.

It was Lanning’s fourth half-century in five WNCL innings for Victoria so far this season.

Lanning is set to play out the season with the Vics before next heading to India where she’ll line-up for the Delhi Capitals in the Women’s Premier League, on a bargain basement deal of $140,000 for arguably the best batter in women’s cricket history.

Fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck also made a positive return for Victoria as she plots a path back to the Australian side after a shoulder injury, finishing with figures of 0-21 in six overs in her first WNCL game since 2021.