Haynes hammers huge score in crucial Breakers win

A superb century from Rachael Haynes has steered the NSW Breakers to an important, nine-wicket victory over the ACT Meteors in Canberra.

The Breakers come away from the clash with a win, a bonus point and will move into third position on the WNCL table behind Victoria and Tasmania, with two games of the regular season remaining.

The Breakers will need to finish in the top two to seal a place in the final to be played on March 27.

Set a target of 255 by the Meteors, Haynes opened the batting and finished unbeaten on 139 from 105 balls, which is the second-highest List A score of her career.

Averaging 98 this domestic one-day season, Haynes anchored the chase expertly, combining with captain Alyssa Healy for a 93-run opening stand before Healy swung at a full toss from Maddie Penna to be caught just short of her half-century, out for 47.

With the Breakers in a strong position at 1-93, Breakers No.3 Rachel Trenaman (56no) joined Haynes to pick up where Healy left off, celebrating her own half-century before sealing a comprehensive victory in the 39th over.

Earlier, after winning the toss and electing to bat first, Meteors opener Katie Mack (71 off 96) made a positive start despite top-order wickets falling around her.

Just as Mack looked to be accelerating towards a second WNCL century for the season, young Breakers quick Hayley Silver-Holmes stopped Mack in her tracks as she edged behind to Healy.

Sammy-Jo Johnson trapped Mack’s opening partner Rebecca Carter for eight in the sixth over, before Ashleigh Gardner limited the contributions of allrounder Erin Osborne (12) and captain Angela Reakes (11).

With the Meteors stumbling at 3-39, explosive No.4 batter Penna joined Mack at the crease where the two combined for a vital 52-run stand.

But off-spinning allrounder Erin Burns was able to bring the momentum back towards the Breakers, bowling Penna for 34 in the 32nd over.

Silver-Holmes continued to be effective for NSW, snaring three more wickets at the back-end of the innings to finish with figures of 4-39 from her seven overs.

Despite a late charge from tail-enders Amy Yates and Chloe Rafferty, who staged a 36-run stand for the ninth wicket, the Meteors total of 9-254 was not nearly enough against a full-strength NSW side.

The NSW Breakers will meet the ACT Meteors again at the same venue on Sunday.

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