Molineux returns as Vics score first win of the season

Sophie Molineux's long-awaited return from injury was a fruitful one as the Victorian captain got her side on the board with a thumping seven-wicket win over rivals NSW at the Junction Oval.

Molineux, who spent more than a year out of the game after injuring her ACL in the later stages of Weber WBBL|08, put in an all-round performance with figures of 1-38 from her nine overs, 19 runs at the top of the order plus three catches, including a particularly sharp effort in the covers to remove Breakers opener Saskia Horley.

As well as being Molineux's first game of the season, it was also Victoria's first since Dulip Samaraweera took over the head coach role after the state parted ways with Jarred Loughman.

But it was Sophie Reid with a career-best 95no who was the hero for the home side.

Reid came to the crease in the tenth over following the dismissal of openers Nicole Faltum (18) and Molineux (19) to build a steady partnership alongside Ella Hayward (57no) to seal a comfortable win with 48 balls remaining.

Defending a below-par 202 after being sent in, the Breakers bowling attack made a promising start with experienced campaigners Erin Burns (1-39), Sammy Jo Johnson (1-48) and Sarah Coyte (1-29) picking up early scalps to have the Victorians on the ropes at 3-65.

But the once the young pair of Reid and Hayward settled into the crease, the Breakers attack were unable to make further inroads.

Earlier in the day, it was a complete performance from the Victorian bowling attack with Georgia Prestwidge (3-33), Sophie Day (3-27) and Jas Nevins (3-40) doing the damage.

NSW debutant Georgia Adams, who hails from England and played for the title-winning Adelaide Strikers in the WBBL this year, put on a solid 61-run partnership alongside young gun Claire Moore to get the Breakers into a solid position at 3-159 at the 36-over mark.

But when Nevins removed Moore for 59, the Breakers batters were unable to rebuild, and they were eventually bowled out for 202 in the 46th over.

Victoria and NSW will meet again at the same venue on Thursday.

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 Tasmanian Tigers Women TAS	12	9	2	0	1	0.98	0	5	43
2 Queensland Fire QLD	12	8	3	0	1	1.224	0	7	41
3 Victoria Women VIC	12	7	5	0	0	0.013	0	4	32
4 Western Australia Women WA	12	6	6	0	0	-0.113	0	4	28
5 NSW Women NSW	12	6	6	0	0	-0.105	0	2	26
6 South Australia Women SA	12	4	8	0	0	-0.063	0	3	19
7 ACT Meteors ACT	12	1	11	0	0	-2.006	0	0	4

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