Johnston pummels ACT to send SA to top of WNCL

South Australia recruit Ellie Johnston took her new team to the top of the WNCL standings as ACT squandered a strong position to lose by four wickets at Karen Rolton Oval.  

Courtney Webb (53 off 56) made the early running in SA's pursuit of the Meteors' 6-248 before their aggression backfired when they slumped to 6-185 in the two sides' second match in three days in Adelaide.

But Johnston, who crossed from Queensland over the winter, teamed up with captain Jemma Barsby, another Sunshine State product who presented Johnston with her SA cap on Friday, in a match-winning unbeaten 63-run seventh-wicket partnership.

The hard-hitting Johnston, who does not hold a state contract, finished on 65no from only 51 balls after smashing Holly Ferling for three consecutive boundaries to seal the victory with 7.3 overs to spare.  

It marked her first ever WNCL fifty; her previous high-score in 26 games for Queensland was 34.

Barsby, who earlier took 2-63 from 10 overs with her finger spin, was unbeaten at the other end with 28no from 32.

After winning with a bonus point in Friday's match, SA now sit atop the WNCL standings with 9 points, ahead of reigning champions Tasmania (also on 9) on net run-rate.

Comprehensively beaten two days earlier, ACT were no pushovers this time as Carly Leeson's 71no from 101 balls underpinned their competitive 245.

But separate mini-collapses of 3-9 and 3-3 halted the Meteors' momentum with SA bowlers Amanda-Jade Wellington (2-33 from 10) and Elanor Larosa (3-30) proving a handful.

Former SA leggie Anesu Mushangwe (1-38) was ACT's trump card with the ball while Grace Dignam took 2-49. But neither could stop Johnston, as she pummelled eight fours and a six to get her side home.