The defending champions have booked the first spot in the WNCL final with a clinical win over Tasmania
The New South Wales Breakers have locked in a spot in the WNCL final with a 44-run win over the Tasmanian Tigers at Cricket Central.
The side that is eyeing back-to-back titles in the domestic one-day competition remains unbeaten in the season after nine games and is leading the second-placed Queensland by 13 points with a game in hand over last season’s finalists.
NSW posted 274 on Saturday, driven by an excellent 99 off 103 by Katie Mack, and were looking on track to dismantle Tasmania before Emma Manix-Geeves’ fighting century delayed their victory march.
Mack, who is playing her first season for her native state, was the star of the show for NSW but fell agonisingly on 99 – the third time she has fallen victim to the nervous nineties this season.
The 32-year-old also equalled the WNCL record for the most dismissals in the 90s, joining Meg Lanning and Lisa Sthalekar on a career mark of four.
Mack walked out to the crease when the Breakers’ opening stand between Tahlia Wilson (23 off 28) and Alyssa Healy (25 off 32), was broken with the latter’s wicket in the eight over.
The soon-to-be-retired Healy, who extended her stay in the NSW camp before joining up with the Australian team for three ODIs and the only Test against India, hit four boundaries in her short but full of intent stay before Courtney Sippel (3-45) had her miscue one to mid-wicket in her first over.
Mack found stable support from Anika Learoyd (46 off 67) in a 133-run stand and scored heavily on the leg side.
A misjudgement from Learoyd, who in her attempt to up the scoring rate was caught at short third off a paddle off Mia Barwick (1-28), led to a chain of wickets for the home side.
Mack was caught by a diving Manix-Geeves at short fine-leg off Scottish international Kathryn Bryce (2-38) and her wicket triggered a collapse, with NSW getting bowled out on the final ball of the innings.
But the senior pair of Breakers quicks – Lauren Cheatle (2-39) and Maitlan Brown (4-30) – gave them a dream start with the ball, destructing the dangerous Tigers top order and leaving them 4-22 within six overs.
Captain Cheatle removed the tournament’s leading run-scorer, Rachel Trenaman, on the final ball of the first over and Brown struck two balls later to send the returning Lizelle Lee back on a duck.
But then Tasmania’s resistance came in form of a Bryce (42 off 49) and Manix-Geeves partnership worth 85.
Manix-Geeves took over the charge on Bryce’s dismissal in the 22nd over, continuing to move the scoreboard forward.
She found boundaries on both sides of the wicket as Sippel (28 off 43) held the other end to keep the Tigers alive in the context.
But when the youngster fell in the 45th over right after reaching three figures, the fifty remaining runs proved too much for the Tigers’ tail to chase, and they were ultimately knocked out an over later.
The sides will face off again on Monday, but there’s more WNCL action to come this weekend with the ACT Meteors hosting South Australia in Canberra on Sunday.
WNCL 2025-26 standings
Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Ties
T
No results
N/R
Net Run Rate
NRR
Deductions
Ded.
Batting Bonus
Bat
Total points
PTS
1
NSW
9
9
0
0
0
1.183
0
4
40
2
QLD
10
6
4
0
0
0.072
0
3
27
3
WA
10
6
4
0
0
0.039
0
2
26
4
SA
8
5
3
0
0
-0.224
0
1
21
5
ACT
8
4
4
0
0
-0.057
0
1
17
6
TAS
11
3
8
0
0
0.071
0
3
15
7
VIC
10
0
10
0
0
-1.028
1
0
-1
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
Bat: Batting Bonus
PTS: Total points
