Haynes, Graham blast tons in thrilling WNCL tie

After two centuries, a rain delay and a desperate final over tussle, a thrilling contest between Tasmania and the New South Wales Breakers ended in a tie at Blundstone Arena.

Rachael Haynes’ set the tone with a sublime century that lifted the Breakers to 6-246, but Heather Graham rose to the challenge with a hundred of her own to steer Tasmania towards the target.

With the Tigers chasing an adjusted target of 252 from 47 overs after rain interrupted play, Tasmania No.4 Graham worked in tandem with Nicola Carey (50 from 77) before Naomi Stalenberg joined her for a vital cameo of 40 from 35 that included five boundaries.

Graham celebrated her run-a-ball century in the 42nd over, seemingly on-track to chase down the Breakers with Stalenberg before their 76-run stand was abruptly broken the very next ball when Stalenberg was dismissed by Lauren Cheatle.

With new batter Meg Phillips at the crease and Tasmania needing 40 runs from 34 balls, the pressure was immense on stand-in New South Wales captain Hannah Darlington (2-44), who at 19 years old became the youngest player in Breakers history to lead the side.

But Darlington showed composure beyond her tender years to turn the tables on the Tasmania batters, orchestrating the key breakthroughs in the 45th over with Phillips run out for 4 and then castled Graham for 116 the next ball.

Belinda Vakarewa and Tasmanian debutante Sarah Coyte kept the hosts in the contest right into the final over of the day.

With Tasmania needing 14 to win, Darlington, who on Wednesday earned her first national call-up, boldly elected to shoulder responsibility and take the ball for the final over.

Vakarewa and Coyte dashed through for a single each off the first two balls, before Vakarewa chanced her luck to find the rope off the next two deliveries.

After sprinting through for a two off the penultimate ball, the equation was narrowed to two runs off the final ball.

But Vakarewa, after punching one to Haynes at mid-off, was only able to complete a single to tie the match before being run out on 14 (9), having barely set off in desperate search for what would have been a match-winning run.

Earlier, Haynes' blazing knock of 109 from 112 that included 16 boundaries earned her a spot in the record books, passing 4000 career runs in the WNCL.

Haynes is currently the fourth highest WNCL run scorer of all time and has moved within ten runs of Australia legend Belinda Clark, who sits in third with 4074 runs.

With the Breakers sent in by the hosts, Rachel Trenaman (49) and Ashleigh Gardner (43) supported Haynes to lift the Breakers to 6-246 from their fifty overs.

Pace bowlers Nicola Carey (3-43) and Vakarewa (2-45) did the bulk of the damage for Tasmania.

The Tigers' next assignment is against Victoria at the same venue on Sunday, while the Breakers will travel to Adelaide to take on South Australia on the same day.

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, Annabel Sutherland, 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