Experience outshines future stars in Dubai

Half-centuries to Elyse Villani and Beth Mooney have seen the Commonwealth Bank Shooting Stars to victory in their third one-dayer against the England Women’s Academy in Dubai.

The opening pair of Villani and Mooney notched 86 and 51 respectively, after an even bowling performance saw the Academy side all out for 260 inside 49 overs.

Regular Southern Stars squad member Delissa Kimmince was the next best Australian with the bat, scoring a run-a-ball 30, while leg-spinner Alex Hartley picked up four wickets for the English side.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, the England openers made a solid start, before 16-year-old quick Lauren Cheatle and spinning-allrounder Grace Harris struck.

Still in command at 2-79, Fran Wilson and Georgia Elwiss both passed 40, the pair moving at better than a run-a-ball on a good wicket for batters.

Wilson was the first of the duo to fall, holing out to Ashleigh Gardner off the bowling of the ACT Tradies Meteors’ Samantha Bates, while Elwiss made her way to 50 before missing a straight delivery from Nicola Carey and being adjudged lbw.

Natalie Sciver became medium-pacer Carey’s second wicket when the England international played across the line and had her stumps rattled, the NSW Lend Lease Breaker boasting figures of 2-9 in her fourth over.

The England tail crumbled from there, with Nicola Hancock, Piepa Cleary and Gardner ensuring the Shooting Stars left the scorching ICC Global Cricket Academy ground eight deliveries short of the 50 overs.

Villani and Mooney cruised through the first 20 unbeaten, with the latter the first to reach her half-century milestone.

The Konica Minolta Queensland Fire wicketkeeper-batter fell shortly after, to have the Shooting Stars 1-99 in the 22nd over.

A quick-fire 29 off 21 deliveries from Harris lifted the run-rate, before she fell lbw – replaced at the crease by fellow Queensland allrounder Kimmince.

Villani pressed on past fifty as the world-champion pair’s partnership eased the Australians towards their 261-run total.

With 55 runs still to get, quick Beth Langston ended Villani’s innings on 89 before Kimmince was bowled by Hartley.

Despite losing late wickets, top order runs proved the difference, with a Jemma Barsby boundary seeing the Australians home with 18 balls and two wickets to spare.

That victory sees the Shooting Stars take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-four 50-over series, with the final game scheduled for Wednesday, April 8.