Betts five, Falconer cameo secures SA season opening win

South Australia have dusted off the cobwebs to open their Women's National Cricket League (WNCL) season with a win against Western Australia as the two sides took to the field for the first time in 343 days.

Despite the four other states getting underway in December, and the ACT Meteors in early January, COVID-19 border restrictions meant both SA and WA had to wait until today for their first game since March last year.

A career-best five-wicket haul by Samantha Betts set the game up for Scorpions as they restricted WA to 8-228 from their 50 overs after electing to bowl first at Karen Rolton Oval on Sunday.

The right-arm quick was deadly accurate across her 10-over spell, claiming her first three wickets LBW before returning at the death to remove Molly Healy (19) and Poppy Stockwell (25) who both skied balls to the infield in search of quick runs.

Betts (5-46) eclipsed her previous best WNCL figures of 5-69 and was also unbeaten on four as Ellie Falconer steered the hosts to victory by two wickets with 13 balls to spare.

Falconer struck three towering sixes in her 30-ball 36 not out, including the winning runs with a straight hit over the bowlers' head in the 48th over.

Emma de Broughe (58 off 87 balls) notched her maiden half century as she anchored the chase at the top of the order for the Scorpions, and she found an ally in Courtney Webb, who fell one short of her own fifty as the pair put on 77 runs for the third wicket.

Off-spinner Amy Edgar was the pick of the bowlers for WA with 4-35, while Taneale Peschel (2-62) dismissed Webb (49) and Jemma Barsby (0) from consecutive deliveries as the visitors fought their way back into the contest.

Earlier, Mathilda Carmichael starred for WA with a game-high 75 (83), while Maddy Darke (49) also fell one short of a half century, with both dismissed leg before to Betts.

But it was Carmichael's wicket from the last ball of the 39th over that slowed the momentum of the innings as WA only managed 53 in their final 11 overs.

Falconer also chipped in with 2-40, including the opening WA wicket of Chloe Piparo for a duck.

"We've been really excited all week when it actually clicked for us that we were finally going to be able to play some cricket after what has seemed like the longest preseason of all time," Betts said after the match.

"The last (five-wicket haul) was in a losing game so I'll definitely take this one over that … everyone did a great job with ball and bat today."

The win catapults the Scorpions into fourth spot on the WNCL table as both sides prepare to play their full complement of eight matches in the next 21 days to complete the tournament.