A BARNSTORMING rear-guard knock from Sarah Coyte has helped Tasmania defeat Victoria by 47 runs on Wednesday. In an all-round performance worthy of player of the match honours, the former Australian international hit 69no and snared 3-39 to guide the Tigers’ assault on Junction Oval.

Batting first, the visitors were rattled early and fell to 3-7 with Rachel Priest and Elyse Villani two key figures sent back to the sheds. It was Kim Garth who fed their wickets to the cordon, putting the Vics in a positive position after just five overs.

Through powerful shotmaking, Naomi Stalenberg steadied alongside opener Emma Manix-Geeves to bring up Tasmania’s first 50. Shortly after, Stalenberg was gone for 31 (30) and the Tigers really needed a spark when they fell further, to 7-83 as Sophie Day bagged back-to-back poles.

Enter Coyte, whose unbeated half-centrury not only helped Tasmania see out its 50 overs, but also put up a defendable total of 212 at nine down. The Tigers hit Day for 20 off the final over, though the Victorian finished as one of three bowlers to snare two poles.

Rhys McKenna was the pick of the Vics, nabbing 3-41 off seven overs, while the opening combination of Garth and Sam Bates proved economical as both made a pair of breakthroughs.

After the late Coyte-inspired heroics, Sophie Reid did her best to arrest the momentum as she hit the first ball of Victoria’s batting innings for four. After an opening stand of 31, one wicket brought two as she and Rhiann O’Donnell were caught in quick succession.

Their wickets brought Amy Vine and Garth to the crease, and the pair put on their side’s best partnership (49 runs) before Sasha Moloney removed Vine for 25 (56). A middle order collapse saw the Vics go from 3-102 to 7-110 in 5.2 overs, as Coyte and Maisy Gibson combined to quell the hosts’ chances of a fightback.

Ella Hayward and McKenna both ticked up over 20 among the tail, but Moloney sent them on their way with her second wicket, and a brilliant run-out. Coyte finished things off with her third, seeing Victoria fall 47 runs short at 10-165.

Both teams will now travel to New South Wales to take on Western Australia. Now with two wins, Tasmania does so on March 6, while the winless Victorians will be in action on March 8.