Queensland showcased their enviable depth as a depleted side was still too much for Tasmania on the WNCL resumption
Queensland have continued their unbeaten run in the 2025-26 Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) season with a 32-run win over the Tasmanian Tigers.
The Bellerive Oval hosted the domestic 50-over competition’s first game back from the WBBL break on Sunday with the hosts hoping to topple the table-topping yet depleted Queensland side.
But the task proved too tall for the unit missing two key members of its own in Lizelle Lee and Nicola Carey and fell short in their chase of a sizable 293.
Rachel Trenaman, who is behind only her regular opening partner Lee on the list of this season’s leading run-scorers, gave Tasmania’s chase a strong start.
But a re-jigged batting order failed to support her as she finished as her side’s top scorer with 48 off 65.
The 22-year-old leg spinner Grace Parson, back from a 10 month hiatus, struck first for Queensland when she outfoxed Ruth Johnston to take out her stumps in the 13th over.
The fast-bowling attack led by Sianna Ginger (3-37) took control from there on and showed no signs of missing young star left-armer Lucy Hamilton, who is in India for a maiden Women’s Premier League (WPL) appearance.
Late cameos from captain Elyse Villani (36 off 41), Courtney Sippel (30no off 36) and Lauren Smith (36 off 35) were not enough to take the Tigers over the line.
The result sends a strong signal of the depth in the Queensland’s camp, coming in the absence of regular captain Jess Jonassen (shoulder injury) and a number of other mainstays.
Earlier in the day, the visitors handed debut caps to Grace Collins and Ruby Strange as they were sent into bat by Villani.
Stand-in captain Georgia Redmayne (7 off 13) dispatched the first ball of the innings to the boundary but fell soon after, playing a false shot to young quick Callie Wilson (1-54).
With Jonassen as well as Charli Knott and Grace Harris missing (both at the WPL), the Fire needed to find a new source of runs.
English international Lauren Winfield-Hill, who had rescued the side against the ACT with a century earlier in the season, was not present either. Named in the squad to travel to Hobart, the veteran had to stay back to be with her wife, former Queensland quick Courtney Winfield-Hill, as she gave birth to the couple’s first child.
It was left to the young duo of Mikayla Wrigley (88 off 115) and Lucy Bourke (85 off 91) to stand up, stitching together a 128-run stand.
The knocks are personal bests for both players, both in their second season with the Queensland senior side.
Their partnership laid the platform for Laura Harris (12 off 8) and Nicola Hancock (39no off 31) to add quick runs in the later phase of the innings to take the side close to the 300-run mark.
The two teams will face off again on Tuesday, January 6 at the same venue.
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
QLD
5
5
0
0
0
0.765
0
2
22
2
NSW
4
4
0
0
0
1.077
0
1
17
3
TAS
5
3
2
0
0
1.084
0
3
15
4
SA
2
1
1
0
0
-0.494
0
0
4
5
ACT
2
0
2
0
0
-0.802
0
0
0
6
WA
4
0
4
0
0
-1.165
0
0
0
7
VIC
4
0
4
0
0
-1.595
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
