Fire hit back with emphatic win over Breakers

Georgia Redmayne hit a half-century as Queensland posted their first win of the Women’s National Cricket League season, defeating NSW Breakers by 79 runs.

After losing the first of their two matches against the Breakers at Cricket Central by five wickets on Friday, Queensland bounced back to bowl the hosts out for 136 after earlier posting 9-215.

Redmayne, in just her second elite-level game back from a serious Achilles injury, led the way after Queensland elected to bat first, scoring 61 off 87 deliveries.

The Breakers attack made regular breakthroughs, removing Redmayne’s opening partner Georgia Voll (14), first drop Charli Knott (13) and the dangerous Laura Harris (1) cheaply.

But Redmayne received support from Mikayla Hinkley (35) while skipper Jess Jonassen stepped up with a handy 39 off 51 to boost the Fire to 9-215 at the end of their 50 overs.

Star Aussie spinner Ashleigh Gardner did the most damage with the ball, collecting 3-40 off her 10 overs.

Nicola Hancock (2-24) secured the key wicket of Australian opener Phoebe Litchfield (2) in the third over of NSW’s chase, and when Courtney Sippel (3-28) had Alyssa Healy out lbw for 12 the hosts were looking shaky at 2-23.

Zoe Cooke joined in the wickets when she had Anika Learoyd trapped lbw, and Sippel’s second left the Breakers 4-64, with their hopes resting on the experienced pair of Gardner and Erin Burns.

Burns made an ominous start when she hit Jonassen over the rope but the left-arm spinner hit back the same over, bowling Burns for 11.

Gardner (15) likewise could not get going, hitting a simple catch to Jonassen off the bowling of Sianna Ginger.

Claire Moore dug in with 23 off 40 deliveries but could not stop her side being bowled out in the 37th over.

Aussie squad members Healy, Litchfield, Gardner and Jonassen will now link up with their national teammates on Thursday ahead of the T20I series against West Indies starting October 1.