Voll finds right formula ahead of WNCL final

Opener Georgia Voll feels she has found her one-day batting blueprint as a young Queensland side look to take down minor premiers and hosts Tasmania in the WNCL final on Saturday, February 24.

Voll notched the third List A hundred of her burgeoning career at Allan Border Field on Thursday to help steer the Fire into the decider, and the powerful right-hander looms as a critical figure in the absence of Grace and Laura Harris, who leave next week to take part in the lucrative Women's Premier League in India.

Despite their youth, Queensland could field up to five players who took part in the 2020-21 WNCL final, in which they beat Victoria in Melbourne by 112 runs. Voll was 17 in that match and knows three years on just how important that experience is going to be against two-time defending champs Tasmania.

"We sort of have the same group as a whole," she said after her 117 from 134 balls against WA. "We were very young – I probably took that one for granted, in my first year, but it's taken a lot of hard work to get there again. I think the girls are ready to go. We've been training so hard so it's nice to get a bit of a reward for that.

"(Tasmania) are a good side. They've probably been the benchmark over the last couple of years. They've got some great players that they've imported down there, and some past Australian players that really help them through. So they're a quality side but we're excited."

Queensland had to make do without batting contributions from star pair Georgia Redmayne and Grace Harris against WA on Thursday, with both players out for first-ball ducks, though Laura Harris's breathtaking 28-ball 64 underlined exactly the sort of firepower they will be missing against Tasmania in the final.

"It's no different," insisted Voll, who will likely line up for the Fire in a dead rubber rematch against WA at AB Field on Saturday. "Yes, the Harris girls are gone, but they can't score runs every game.

"Other girls have to step up as well. 'Knotty' (Charli Knott, who made 34no from 25 balls) has been working really hard, it's been really nice to have 'Loz' (England rep Lauren Winfield-Hill, who made 57) come over and play with us … and it's been nice to contribute as well.

"We're a quality line-up – we bat to 11 – and it's nice that different people contribute at different times."

Voll is the only player in the WNCL this summer to post two hundreds and the 20-year-old has long been earmarked as a player of considerable potential. Against WA, and after the disastrous run-out of Redmayne from the first ball of the match, she showed her composure as well as her increasing ability to structure a big innings in the 50-over format.

For much of her stay in the middle she ticked along at a strike-rate between 80 and 90 to anchor the Fire, with Laura Harris and then Knott exploding at the back-end. Even assuming she has the prolific Redmayne by her side, Voll believes that is her way forward with her one-day batting.

"I just try and bat time, and the runs will come," she said. "It was nice to be able to work through some tough patches. We (she and Winfield-Hill) just kept it really simple and tried to hit the sweepers. We got through that first 10 (overs) and they put four (fielders) out so we were able to rotate pretty nicely, and still hit the bad balls.

"I've worked really hard in this last month – we've had a bit of time off (playing) – on exactly how I want to play my cricket. I've been working through a few things, so it was nice to put it out on the park and get us into a final."

WNCL 2023-24 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 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