TASMANIA has kicked off its WNCL title defence in style, comfortably defeating Western Australia by 52 runs in the opening match of the 2024/25 season.

After Tasmania posted 219 before being bowled out on the penultimate ball of its innings, the visitors then bowled out Western Australia for only 167 at the WACA Ground.

Tasmania made a solid start to its innings, posting 47 off eight overs before losing its first wicket.

However, as the innings progressed and the wickets started to fall, partnerships of that size became few and far between. Tasmania’s batters managed starts without going on with it, as Tabatha Saville‘s knock 46 (which included three fours and a six) the only one to reach beyond the 20s.

Lilly Mills was by far the dominant bowler for Western Australia. She almost picked up a hat trick to finish the innings but ultimately ran out of wickets left to claim. However, she still finished with five poles in a dominant display.

Amy Edgar and Zoe Britcliffe picked up two wickets each for Western Australia, while Chloe Ainsworth nabbed the other wicket.

In reply, the home side never really got going.

After losing their first wicket five overs in and with only 20 runs on the board, the wickets just continued to tumble and the West Australians failed to get much momentum going.

Ainsworth was the pick of the batters for the home side with 40, but most batters either made a score in the low teens, with a couple in the 20s.

In a continuing trend of spinner dominance, it was Lauren Smith who was the pick of the Tasmanian bowlers with three wickets to her name, while Molly Strano, Nicola Carey and Maisy Gibson all picked up two wickets each and Hayley Silver-Holmes took one.