South Australia, led by skipper Jemma Barsby, was up against Tasmania, led by skipper Elyse Villani, in the 3rd match of the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) 2025-26. It was the 2nd fixture of the triple-header on the 2nd day of the WNCL 2025/26. The defending champions, New South Wales, got their campaign underway with a tense three-wicket win against Victoria.
The South Australian openers’ wicket-keeper batter Bridget Patterson (37 off 48 balls) and Emma de Broughe (23 off 30 balls) got their side off to a solid start with a 55-run opening partnership, after skipper Jemma Barsy won the toss and opted to bat first. Tasmania struck twice to remove both the well-set openers in quick succession, bringing them back into the contest.
Madeline Penna joined Courtney Webb at the crease, and the duo led the recovery with a massive 197-run partnership for the 3rd wicket, which also took them closer to the 270-run mark. Kathryn Bryce provided the much-needed 3rd breakthrough for Tasmania by sending Madeline Penna (109 off 107 balls) back to the pavilion in the 43rd over of the innings. She scored an impressive century before getting dismissed, also playing a crucial role in taking South Australia to a strong position in the contest.
Courtney Webb continued to take the attack to the opposition bowlers on the departure of Penna. South Australia eventually posted a massive total of 330/5 in their quota of 50 overs. Courtney Webb (123* off 94 balls) stayed unbeaten on an enterprising century. Skipper Jemma Barsby (10* off 6 balls) chipped in with a handy cameo. Kathryn Bryce (10-0-60-3) was the standout performer with the ball for Tasmania. Lauren Smith (10-0-64-1), Hayley Silver-holmes (7-0-48-0), and Courtney Grace Sippel (7-0-51-1) were impressive with the ball for their side.
Chasing a mammoth total of 331, the Tasmanian openers, Lizelle Lee and Rachel Trenaman, provided them with a promising start with an 87-run opening stand. Isabella Malgioglio broke the stand, by sending Rachel Trenaman (40 off 54 balls) back to the pavilion in the 19th over of the innings to provide the much-needed first breakthrough for South Australia.
Tasmania kept losing wickets at regular intervals, and as a result, they kept falling behind the required rate in a stiff chase. Even a spirited, unbeaten 87-run partnership for the 8th wicket between Courtney Grace Sippel (50* off 45 balls) and Hayley Silver-Holmes (34* off 34 balls), displaying lower-order resilience, wasn’t enough for them to get over the line as they were restricted to 294/7 in their quota of 50 overs, falling 36 runs short of the target.
The likes of Lizelle Lee (65 off 76 balls) and skipper Elyse Villani (54 off 42 balls) registered brisk half-centuries, but none of them managed to convert that into a match-winning knock to guide their side over the line in the contest. Amanda-Jade Wellington (10-0-62-2), Courtney Neale (10-1-35-1), Madeline Penna (8-0-39-1), and Isabella Malgioglio (9-0-59-2) were the top performers with the ball for South Australia.
Courtney Webb was awarded the Player of the Match for her unbeaten century (123* off 94 balls), playing a crucial role alongside Madeline Penna’s all-round impact to guide their side to a comprehensive win in their campaign opener.
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