Meg masterclass, Vlaeminck brilliance power Victoria thump Meteors

Batting first, Victoria were on backfoot early on as Elyse Villani was dismissed by Zoe Cooke for just 11 in the eighth over. Lanning joined Sophie Molineux in the middle and the duo added 47 runs for the second wicket before the latter was out to Carly Leeson for a 48-ball 30.

The dismissal of Molineux derailed the Victoria innings quite a little but Lanning held the fort at one end and hitting all range of shots – thing she knows best – dispatching the opposition bowlers all around of the corners.

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Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland didn’t trouble the scorers much putting 15 and 13 respectively against their names. Wareham came to Lanning’s company in the middle and the duo frustrated the opposition bowlers with a 62-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Lanning, who had scores of 52 and 91 not out before coming into this match, was well on course for another spectacular ton. But she pulled a length ball from Erin Osborne, trying to hit it hard only to give a simple catch to Carter putting an end to 81-ball innings.

With Lanning back in the hut, the onus was on Wareham to accelerate on the innings and she did just that threading the gaps through covers on several occasions to finish with almost run-a-ball 67. The ACT bowlers weren’t up to the mark conceding as many as 23 wides preventing them from putting any pressure on the Victoria batters.

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ACT skipper Angela Reakes used as many as eight bowlers including herself with Amy Yates (2/57) starring among the list. In reply, Victoria were always on top from the start, thanks to Tayla Vlaeminck who removed both the openers – Rebecca Carter and Katie Mack for ducks.

Perry joined the party soon removing Osborne and Erica Kershaw with the score reading 15 for 4 at the end of eighth over. At that stage, something big was needed for ACT. Reakes tried her bit, hitting a gritty 84-ball 54 but lacked support at the other end.

Madeline Penna couldn’t capitalise on her start, getting clean bowled against Molly Strano before Warehamd and Vlaeminck accounted for Leeson and Cooke cheaply. Vlaeminck, who was returning from a foot injury that barred her from participating in the T20 World Cup last year, got the prized wicket of Reakes in the 31^st over.

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It was a matter of time for Victoria to wrap things up but Nicola Hancock (18 not out), Yates and Chloe Rafferty’s resistance towards the end meant ACT were all out for 132 in 42.4 overs. Vlaeminck finished with figures 8-2-16-4 while Perry (2/14), Wareham (2/39) and Strano (2/4) grabbed two wickets each.

Brief scores: Victoria 287/7 in 50 overs (Meg Lanning 96, Georgia Wareham 67; Amy Yates 2/57) beat ACT Meteors 132 all out in 42.4 overs (Angela Reakes 53; Tayla Vlaeminck 4/16) by 155 runs.