Meteor strike hits Tigers
Tassie girls suffer shock WNCL loss
A DOMINATING knock with the bat from Heather Graham wasn’t enough for the Tasmanian Tigers to avoid disaster in the nation’s capital and become the first team this season to suffer a defeat at the hands of the ACT Meteors on Thursday.
Graham, returning for her second game since making her T20 international debut for Australia in India last December, produced a masterful 109 runs from 112 balls that almost dragged her side over the line.
Anchoring the innings following in-form opener Lizelle Lee’s (63 off 68) departure in the 20th over, Graham put together one of her finest firstclass innings in one-day cricket in a strong showing ahead of her impending departure from the line-up for further international duties in the T20 World Cup. Graham withstood everything the Meteors bowlers threw at her before she was caught out in the 47th over with Amy Yates taking a less-than convincing catch in the outfield to dismiss the 26-year-old.
With two wickets in hand and requiring 13 runs from the final 18 balls, Julia Cavanough (15 off 19) and Clare Scott (0 off 1) couldn’t contend with the electric bowling of Gabrielle Sutcliffe (4-35) with the 20-year-old sensation dismissing the pair with back-toback wickets to close out the contest. Sutcliffe was well supported by Carly Leeson (2-30) with the ball while with the bat it was opener Katie Mack (67 off 83) who top scored for the home side.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl, it took until the 13th over for Tasmania to claim their first wicket with skipper Elyse Villani producing one of the catches of the season to send Matilda Lugg (24 off 42) back to the sheds. Mack produced a 72-run partnership with Leeson (26 off 42) before she was dismissed by Maisy Gibson (1-44) with the Meteors holding firm to end the 50 overs at 9-261.