Back-to-back champions Tasmania are hoping for a 'three-peat' when they host a Queensland outfit striving for a return to the top
All you need to know for the WNCL final
Match facts
Who: Tasmania v Queensland
What: 2023-24 WNCL Final
When: Saturday February 24. Coin toss at 1.20pm AEDT, first ball at 2.05pm AEDT
Where: Blundstone Arena, Hobart
How to watch: Stream live and free via the CA Live app and cricket.com.au or watch via Kayo Sports
Officials: Stephen Dionysius and Troy Penman (standing), Andrew Crozier (third), Kent Hannam (match referee)
Live scores: Match Centre
Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live app
Form guide
Past 10 matches, most recent first. W: win, L: loss, T: tie
Tasmania: LWWLDWWWWW
The Tigers went on a dream run, winning 24 of 26 WNCL games dating back to December 2021 before their 36-run loss to Western Australia four games ago and their most recent loss to Victoria.
In that winning span of games, the Tigers picked up two WNCL titles and this year, they will be striving for their third in a row.
They won't be sweating too much on their most recent loss as it was a dead rubber contest with two of their stars Elyse Villani and Molly Strano out of the side.
Queensland: WWDLLWWWWW
The Fire will be pleased to have bounced back into winning form since losing to Tasmania by 44 runs on January 17.
The Queensland side has recorded two dominant wins heading into the decider and will be looking to defeat Tasmania for the first time since December 17, 2021.
Since that win, Queensland has gone down to the Tigers four times and recorded one no-result game which was the most recent affair.
Queensland last won a WNCL title in season 2020-21.
Squads
Tasmania squad: Elyse Villani (c), Nicola Carey, Maisy Gibson, Heather Graham, Beth Lane, Lizelle Lee, Emma Manix-Geeves (wk), Sasha Moloney, Tabatha Saville, Clare Scott, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Lauren Smith, Naomi Stalenberg, Molly Strano
Queensland squad: Georgia Redmayne (c), Bonnie Berry, Zoe Cooke, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Mikayla Hinkley, Kira Holmes, Ruth Johnston, Charli Knott, Grace Parsons, Courtney Sippel, Georgia Voll, Lauren Winfield-Hill
Players to watch
With the bat you can't look too much further away from Tasmanian Nicola Carey who has had an outstanding WNCL. The 30-year-old smacked 11 boundaries in a knock of 90 off 93 balls against ACT before producing a career-best 113 off 125 balls against South Australia later in the season. It is no surprise she is leading the competition for runs with 585 runs ahead of next best Meg Lanning (492).
Meanwhile, the Fire have had two batters feature in the top 10 for aggregate runs this season with Georgia Voll (429) and Georgia Redmayne (423) both starring at different stages in the season.
It would also be worth mentioning Fire big-hitter Laura Harris who has launched the most sixes (8) in the WNCL this season. On the other hand, Carey has struck the most fours with 66.
With the ball, there is firepower on both sides led by Queensland third-year leg spinner Grace Parsons who has taken the most wickets (20) in the WNCL this season. The 20-year-old is capable of winning the game for the Fire off the back of one spell.
It doesn't stop there though with quick Courtney Sippel also in the Fire line up. The 22-year-old has taken 17 wickets this WNCL season, the equal-third most in the competition.
The Fire young gun pair could prove a powerful force for their state for years to come if they can combine for a strong grand final performance.
The Tigers will be hoping Molly Strano can make a return from a hand injury she suffered against Western Australia on February 1 as she has been their leading wicket taker this season.
The off-spinner has 17 wickets to her name this season and having her experience on-field will be vital to the Tigers side. She did claim a five-for earlier in the campaign against South Australia.
Another Tigers off-spinner in Lauren Smith will also be key with the 27-year-old having claimed 17 scalps this season.
Rapid stats
- Tasmania have won their last four consecutive WNCL games against Queensland Fire, including a 44-run win when they met last in January. However, they had won only one of seven previous meetings against the Fire prior to that four-game winning run.
- Tasmania have won 13 of their last 14 completed WNCL games at Blundstone Arena in Hobart, a span which includes two wins from as many meetings with Queensland Fire.
- Queensland Fire have won three of their last four WNCL games outside Queensland after winning only one of their previous five games outside their home state. However, their only defeat in their last four such fixtures was against Tasmania at Blundstone Arena.
- Tasmania will be looking to win a third consecutive edition of the WNCL and are the only team to have won the competition without ever finishing as runners-up, while Queensland will be looking to win a second title after defeating Victoria in the 2020-21 season.
- Tasmania (88) and Queensland Fire (87.3) have the highest batting strike rates during the Powerplay of any teams in the 2023-24 WNCL; though, only the ACT Meteors (120.2) have a worse bowling strike rate during this period than Queensland (49.3).
History of the WNCL
The 'Ruth Preddy Cup' is on the line. The trophy was introduced in the 1972-73 season and acknowledges one of the pioneers of the game in Preddy, a former NSW player and administrator, Australia team manager and sports editor of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Since the WNCL replaced the Australian Women's Cricket Championships in 1996-97, the NSW Breakers have dominated the competition by winning a remarkable 20 titles.
Tasmania joined the competition in the 2010-11 season and played in their first final in season 2021-22.
WNCL 2023-24 standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | Bat | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
TAS
|
12 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.98 | 0 | 5 | 43 |
|
2
QLD
|
12 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1.224 | 0 | 7 | 41 |
|
3
VIC
|
12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.013 | 0 | 4 | 32 |
|
4
WA
|
12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -0.113 | 0 | 4 | 28 |
|
5
NSW
|
12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -0.105 | 0 | 2 | 26 |
|
6
SA
|
12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | -0.063 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
|
7
ACT
|
12 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | -2.006 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
Bat: Batting Bonus
PTS: Total points