Day heroics power Vics to electric season-opening win

Victoria survived a late scare to open its season with a nail-biting two-wicket win over NSW at North Sydney Oval on Friday.

With the Vics cruising at 5-211 needing another 16 runs for victory with four overs remaining, a stunning Erin Burns catch on the boundary to dismiss Meg Lanning (37) got the Breakers back in the game.

Off spinner Georgia Adams was the bowler and she took another wicket in the same over before Sammy-Jo Johnson claimed another on the first ball of the final over to have Victoria at 8-225, needing two runs to win off five deliveries.

Facing three dots to begin her innings, Vic No.10 Sophie Day heightened the pressure before coming up clutch with a dashing shot over the off side to claim the win with a four.

Earlier, a dropped caught and bowled chance from Sarah Coyte in the 48^th over kept Vic No.8 Sasha Moloney at the crease where she finished unbeaten (6*) alongside Day (4*). The medium pacer kept her head up, however, and maintained NSW’s chacnes in the game by keeping her over to four runs.

Vic opener Nicole Faltum was excellent at the start of the run chase with a top-scoring 68 runs while No.3 Ella Hayward was also influential with 49.

In the first innings, despite the early loss of Claire Moore (10), the home side were flying when they passed 100 for the loss of just one wicket.

But some aggressive short-pitched bowling by Victoria turned the innings on its head.

First Rhys McKenna had Elsa Hunter (39) unable to control a pull shot that landed in fine leg’s hands, before Tess Flintoff bounced out both Georgia Adams (6) and Anika Learoyd (0) as NSW lost 4-16.

Right in the middle of the collapse was the loss of in-form batter Tahlia Wilson (47), who didn’t look like getting out until a slight hesitation between the wickets saw Meg Lanning run her out.

Erin Burns and first-gamer Frankie Nicklin provided a bit of resistance but McKenna returned to finish off the innings on her way to career-best figures.