An unbeaten 84 from Jodie Fields helped Queensland Fire snatch a three-wicket victory in their one-day WNCL match against ACT Meteors on Saturday.
The Meteors won the toss and elected to bat first at Freebody Oval, and it proved a good decision from captain Kris Britt, as the visitors notched a challenging total of 9-215 from their 50 overs.
Queensland looked down and out after making a bad start to their run chase; the top order failed to fire in Queanbeyan, leaving the home side 4-78 in the 22nd over.
Openers Melissa Bulow (22) and Beth Mooney (11) were both run out as they failed to capitalise on starts, while Jess Jonassen (one) and Kirby Short (four), batting at four and five, did nothing to improve their team's precarious position.
Fortunately for the Fire, Fields proved far tougher to dislodge.
She notched partnerships of 26, 27 and 22 with Mooney, Delissa Kimmince (13) and Jemma Barsby (12) to give Queensland a fighting chance.
The arrival to the crease of Jude Coleman (27) finally provided Fields with an effective accomplice, and the pair put together a match-winning stand of 72 to transform the contest in the home team's favour.
Even when Coleman was dismissed lbw by Samantha Bates, the Fire refused to panic, Grace Harris (15) performing admirably alongside Fields as Queensland got over the line with 15 balls to spare.
Four bowlers claimed one wicket apiece for ACT, Rhiannon Dick (1-28), Sally Moylan (1-22) and Kate Owen (1-25) all finishing with respectable figures, while Bates (1-44) was somewhat expensive.
Earlier, Laura Wright helped the Meteors make a strong start to their innings; she notched 38 runs opening the batting, and first drop Sara Hungerford (32) also made a valuable contribution.
Together, they compiled a team-high partnership of 70 for the second wicket, before Wright was run out by Harris.
Hungerford followed soon after, caught by Harris from the bowling of Kirsten Pike (2-28).
Britt, batting at number four, then led by example, top-scoring for the Meteors with 67 from 78 deliveries.
And she formed two important partnerships in the process, putting on 35 alongside Dick (13) and 58 with Owen (26), before she was eventually dislodged by Coleman (2-49).
Britt departed with ACT 6-197 in the 47th over, having given the visitors every chance of winning the match.
But despite striking early in the Fire's innings, the heroics of Fields and the Queensland tail made it a day to forget for the team from Canberra.
First Posted 22 December, 2012 5:45PM AEST
