NEW SOUTH Wales has taken a giant step towards securing a spot in the WNCL Final after picking up an important 44-run win over South Australia yesterday. The Breakers made a total of 229, before they went and bowled out the Scorpions for just 185.

This result means NSW is currently in second place on the ladder, and crucially has one or two games in hand over both first placed Queensland and third placed Tasmania. South Australia meanwhile is in fourth but is less than a game behind NSW and a spot in that final, so its far from decided at this stage.

New South Wales’ innings did not get off to the greatest start, but slowly and steadily the home side built a bit of an innings.

The Breakers have Tahlia Wilson to thank for them being able to get any kind of competitive total on the board, with the opener smashing 11 fours and a six as part of an innings of 112 not out. Considering the next best individual innings was Lauren Cheatle’s 26, and she and Sarah Coyte were the only other batters alongside Wilson to outscore the extras tally of 19, without Wilson the Breakers could have been in real trouble.

For South Australia, Madeline Penna was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets to her name, while Eleanor Larosa, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Courtney Neale all picked up a pair of wickets each.

One thing that really brought South Australia undone was it lost too many wickets too quickly early in its innings. The Scorpions found themselves at 5/67 in the 15th over, and although the next partnership after that was a 63-run one, the damage was already done.

Penna (40) was also the top scorer for her side after having topped the wicket tally earlier in the day, with Wellington (37) not too far behind.

Meanwhile for the Breakers, Sam Bates took a quartet of wickets, and was ably assisted by Georgia Adams’ three wicket haul.