IN A bumper day of WNCL action, Tasmania took the win against Queensland in a low scoring affair due to rain.

The visitors emerged victorious by 20 runs at Allan Border Field with DLS determining their 198 run total (in 41.1 overs) to best the Fire’s 155 runs in 32.4 overs.

The key figure in the fixture was all-rounder Heather Graham, who contributed with 44 runs from 58 balls, scoring the third most in the match and the second most of any Tasmanian player. She also took two wickets at an economical rate of 3.71, her scalps of Laura Harris and Mikayla Wrigley signalled the start of the tail for Queensland’s batting.

Tasmania batted first with only Lizelle Lee (16 off 13 balls) managing double figures in the first three batting stints, with Elyse Villani (seven off 25) and Nicola Carey (seven off 20) soaking up deliveries with no pressure put on the bowlers.

Graham changed that when she arrived to the crease, her strike rate of 75.86 showing that she was trying to accelerate the run rate for her team. She had Naomi Stalenberg for company in the middle, however the latter just made 17 from 40 balls faced to bring Emma Manix-Geeves out to face a golden duck.

Providing the foil for Graham to score was Tabatha Saville, she was their highest run scorer hitting a half-ton from 45 deliveries. This brought them closer to a defendable total before Amy Smith, Molly Strano and Julia Cavanough all chipped in with 36 combined runs, crucial to get them up to 198.

In the bowling stakes for Queensland, it was Charli Knott that was the most successful, taking the scalps of Villani, Carey and Saville. Sianna Ginger, Jess Jonassen and Lilli Hamilton all took two each.

In reply, it was a tale of two fortunes for the Fire’s opening pair of Lauren Winfield-Hill and Georgia Redmayne. Redmayne hit 51 runs from her 79 balls faced in contrast to Winfield-Hill’s one off seven balls.

A partnership formed between Redmayne and first drop batter Knott who hit a handy 33 off 30 balls. After that it was slim pickings for the home side with key players Jonassen (golden duck) and Grace Harris (four off 10) out within a few overs of each other.

Ginger chipped in with 26 runs to go with her few wickets, although Laura Harris (duck off two balls), Wrigley (two off ten) and Nicola Hancock (five off eight) were all dismissed in succession.

The only unbeaten batter for the Fire was Courtney Sippel who hit 15 off just 10 balls, seeing them fall 20 runs short without a batting partner.

The same teams will play off in another game at the same ground on Tuesday for more points which remain crucial in the fight for a place in the WNCL final considering the two sides are third and fourth on the ladder.