The upcoming Women’s National Premier League (WNCL) 2025-26 match between Tasmania Tigers and Queensland Fire is high stakes encounter between two of the competition’s heavyweights. Queensland Fire has been the team to beat this season, sitting comfortably at the top of the ladder with a perfect record of five wins from five games. Tasmania is not far behind in third place with 15 points; however, they are coming off a bit of a rollercoaster week where they followed up a string of wins with a disappointing loss in their most recent outing.
Squads:
Tasmania Tigers Women’s Cricket Team
Elyse Villani, Naomi Stalenberg, Rachel Trenaman, Ruth Johnston, Tabatha Saville, Ava Curtis, Kathryn Bryce, Nicola Carey, Emma Manix-Geeves, Lizelle Lee, Amy Smith, Callie Wilson, Courtney Sippel, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Lauren Smith, Maisy Gibson, Sara Kennedy
Queensland Fire Women’s Cricket Team
Annie O’Neil, Laura Harris, Lucy Bourke, Charli Knott, Lucy Hamilton, Sianna Ginger, Georgia Redmayne, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Mikayla Wrigley, Bonnie Berry, Jess Jonassen, Lily Bassingthwaighte, Nicola Hancock
Players to watch out:
Lauren Winfield-Hill
The experienced English international has brought significant firepower to the Queensland Fire top order this season. Across 4 innings, she has amassed 207 runs, including a brilliant unbeaten 101 that showcased her ability to bat through the innings. Averaging 103.50 with a high strike rate of 110.69, she remains one of the most dangerous openers in the competition, already tallying 32 fours.
Courtney Grace Sippel
Moving to Tasmania has clearly agreed with Courtney Sippel, as she has quickly become one of the most prolific wicket-takers in the 2025–26 season. In 5 matches, she has claimed 8 wickets with a best of 2 for 8, maintaining a respectable average of 21.00. Her economy rate of 6.54 across 25.4 overs shows she is a high-impact bowler who looks to attack the stumps and force mistakes from the batters.
Nicola Hancock
Nicola Hancock remains a powerhouse in the Queensland bowling attack, providing both pace and consistency in every outing. In 5 innings, she has picked up 7 wickets at an average of 31.28, including an effective best of 2 for 49. Having bowled 40.2 overs—the most of anyone in this group—she is clearly the workhorse of the Fire’s rotation, helping to keep opposition scores in check with her disciplined lines.
Pitch:
The Bellerive Oval in Hobart is a batting-friendly grass pitch that starts slow with early help for seamers but flattens out for high scores later. Toss winners often bowl first as the surface improves for chasing, with 56% wins batting first overall.
Weather:
Expect mostly sunny conditions with daytime highs of 26°C and nighttime around 15°C, minimal rain risk at 5%. Near-zero precipitation, sea breezes may add slight variability but support uninterrupted play.
Fantasy Playing XI:
Charli Knott, Lucy Hamilton, Georgia Redmayne, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Jess Jonassen, Nicola Hancock, Elyse Villani, Naomi Stalenberg, Kathryn Bryce, Lizelle Lee, Courtney Sippel
Match Details:
Date – January 06, 2026
Time – 5:00 AM IST
Venue – Bellerive Oval, Hobart, Australia
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on cricket.com.au app and website.
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