Big guns sizzle as Vics fire against the Meteors

A Meg Lanning masterclass and a stunning display of fast bowling from Tayla Vlaeminck have secured a mammoth 155-run win for Victoria over the ACT Meteors in the domestic 50-over competition.

Victoria's international stars were unstoppable at Blacktown International Sportpark, the loss of their home ground advantage no hindrance as they secured a double bonus point.

Lanning weathered tricky conditions to compile a speedy 96, before fellow Australian representative Georgia Wareham showed off her all-round qualities, scoring 67 to take Victoria to 7-287.

A triple strike from fast bowlers Vlaeminck (4-16 from eight overs) and Ellyse Perry (2-14 from six overs) had the ACT 3-5 in the second over of their chase, with a gritty fifty from ACT skipper Angela Reakes not enough to stop her side being dismissed for 132.

Opting to send Victoria in, there was movement on offer for the ACT quicks early as they tested Victoria openers Elyse Villani and Sophie Molineux.

Villani, Victoria’s form batter of their first two matches against New South Wales, could not contain her frustration, gone for 11 as Nicola Hancock clung on to a brilliant running catch at mid-off.

Molineux dug in to post her highest score of the season to date but was out to the bowling of Carly Leeson on 30 after being stumped off a leg-side wide.  

The Meteors limited the damage from middle-order stars Perry (15) and Annabel Sutherland (13) but struggled to find any way to contain Lanning once she got going after a few early nervous moments.

The Australian captain found the boundary 13 times and cleared it twice and appeared on the verge of a 10th WNCL century, only for her 81-ball innings to abruptly end off a full-toss from spinner Erin Osborne.

Her dismissal, coming after 37.5 overs with Victoria 5-203, threatened to halt their momentum but Wareham continued the batting blitz, showing the improvement she has made to her batting as she found the boundary seven times and cleared it once in her 68-ball 67.

Set a hefty 288 to win, the ACT chase got off to a disastrous start when Rebecca Carter (0) and Katie Mack (0) both fell to Vlaeminck's searing pace in the first over, before the experienced Osborne was caught behind off Perry to leave the Meteors 3-5.

Perry had gone wicketless in Victoria's opening two matches in Melbourne but extracted movement and bounce from the Blacktown wicket, while Vlaeminck was at her threatening best in her second game back from a serious foot injury.

A fighting half-century from ACT captain Reakes briefly halted Victoria's charge towards victory but the return of Vlaeminck resulted in her dismissal for 54.

Hancock (18no) and Amy Yates (14) added some late entertainment before Molly Strano wrapped up proceedings, the Meteors bowled out for 132 in 42.4 overs.

Strano ended her miserly 4.4 overs with figures of 2-4, while Wareham (2-39) was the other wicket taker.

Victoria will remain in Sydney to play South Australia in Blacktown on Tuesday, while the Meteors will regroup before hosting NSW on March 5.