Breakers post huge total to storm to third straight win

The NSW Breakers have boosted their finals hopes after cruising to a 78-run bonus-point victory over the ACT Meteors in Canberra.

Half-centuries to Alyssa Healy, Rachel Trenaman, Ashleigh Gardner and Sammy-Jo Johnson saw NSW post a huge 5-337 on their way to a third straight Women’s National Cricket League win.

It was the Breakers’ fourth highest WNCL total ever.

After losing their first two matches to Victoria and tying with Tasmania, the Breakers currently sit in third place on the ladder with a game to play and remain in contention for the final on March 27, to be contested by the top two teams.

Breakers captain Healy chose to bat first at Phillip Oval and took full advantage with a rapid 92 from 97 deliveries.

Batting alongside Friday’s centurion and fellow opener Rachael Haynes for an 80-run opening stand before piling on another 75 alongside Trenaman, Healy looked destined to celebrate her fifth WNCL century before she was stopped in her tracks by 18-year-old Gabby Sutcliffe, who was a local replacement player in this year’s Rebel WBBL.

When Breakers No.3 Trenaman was joined by Gardner, the onslaught didn’t stop as Gardner blasted 62 from 40 that included ten boundaries.

Sutcliffe, who made her WBBL debut for the Sydney Thunder during WBBL|06, added two more big wickets to her name, removing Trenaman (70) and Gardner (62) to claim figures of 3-66 from her nine overs.

Once Trenaman and Gardner were back in the sheds, Johnson and Erin Burns, both in their first seasons for the Breakers, capitalised on time in the middle for a late-innings surge that saw another 49 runs added.

Soon after Johnson celebrated her first half-century for the Breakers, she was run out of the final ball of the innings for a 27-ball 52, leaving the Meteors needing a hefty 338 for victory.

Meteors openers Katie Mack and Erica Kershaw had their side off to a promising start with a 74-run opening stand, but off-spinning allrounder Burns (2-39) had both openers dismissed in quick succession, bringing two new batters in Erin Osborne and Maddie Penna to the crease.

Solid middle order contributions from Osborne (17), Penna (32) and Meteors captain Angela Reakes (44) kept the scoreboard moving for the hosts, but at 6-205 in the 43rd over needing 133 for victory, the best efforts of Carly Leeson who finished unbeaten on 54 were not enough for the Meteors as they finished their innings 78 runs short of the required target.

It was the Meteors’ fifth straight defeat and they slipped to sixth on the ladder. They will next face South Australia in Adelaide on March 21, while the Breakers will prepare for a huge couple of matches against Queensland at North Sydney Oval on March 19 and March 21.

CommBank tour of New Zealand 2021

Australia ODI & T20I Squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Molly Strano, Georgia Wareham, Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaeminck

1st T20: March 28, Seddon Park, Hamilton, 5.10pm AEDT

2nd T20: March 30, McLean Park, Napier, 1pm AEDT

3rd T20: April 1, Eden Park, Auckland, 1pm AEDT

1st ODI: April 4, Bay Oval, Tauranga, 9am AEDT

2nd ODI: April 7, Bay Oval, Tauranga, 12noon AEDT

3rd ODI: April 10, Bay Oval, Tauranga, 12noon AEDT

All matches will be shown live in Australia on Fox Cricket and Kayo