Tigers’ fiery baptism persists

TASMANIA’S shaky start to the 2019 WNCL season continued with a thumping at the hands of Queensland in Brisbane yesterday.

While the men were throwing away their certain victory in Perth, the women were never really in the contest going down by 101 runs to be winless from their opening two games of the season following their loss to Western Australia on Sunday.

The Fire won the toss and elected to bat and set the pace early as Grace Harris and Kirby Short put on 53 for the first wicket, before Laura Harris smashed a 30-ball 51 spiced with eight fours and a six.

Despite Sasha Moloney’s 4-37 from 7.5 overs and three wicket hauls to Samantha Bates and Maisy Gibson, Queensland was able to post 240 before being dismissed off the penultimate delivery of the innings.

A former Tigers favourite, Georgia Redmayne, made a patient 20 off 50 deliveries in her first game against her old teammates.

The Tigers reply started slowly and only got worse after that.

Tasmania slumped to 5-55 as its top order struggled to make inroads against the Fire attack.

Captain Brooke Hepburn tried to salvage the innings with a top score of 25 and a cameo from Erin Fazackerley (22 off 17 with two fours and a six) gave the Tigers a tiny glimmer of hope.

But the end of this brief partnership soon saw wickets tumbling again as the Tigers were bowled out for just 139 in the 41st over.

Georgie Prestwidge picked up four wickets for the Fire, while Grace Harris was named player of the match for her 30 runs with the bat and 3-35 with the ball.

The Tigers do not play another WNCL game now until January 7.