South Australia v Tasmania - the green machine kicks in

Nicola Carey in flight bowling to a poised Jemma Barsby.

And so we returned to Karen Rolton Oval for the second WCNL game between South Australia and Tasmania, where conditions could not have been more different to those of Friday.   Bright warm sunshine gave way to overcast grey mizzle, classic early season cricket weather. Play was delayed by half an hour while umpires, ground staff and players alike waited for conditions to brighten. South Australian captain Jemma Barsby again won the toss and decided to bat first, with both sides fielding unchanged sides from Friday's game.

The contrast in the weather also reflected the contrast in SA batting innings from Friday – with the side struggling from the very first ball. Nic Carey’s glorious in-swinger took the bails off Emma de Broughe's wicket leaving the batter stunned as she walked right back to the pavilion. Then, by the 4th over fellow opener Bridget Patterson had been tempted into lofting a shot to Gibson fielding at mid on. Any hopes that Penna and Webb would fill the run void at this point were dashed by the next over, with Penna falling into a trap set by Carey again for her second wicket. Carey's bowling continued to be crafty all through the innings, and also claimed the wicket of Friday's player of the match Courntney Webb for 14 with a shorter delivery. By this point SA were still in the powerplay, but severely struggling on 36/4. Excellent captaincy by Tasmania's Elyse Villani kept the South Australian batters underwaps, with the next wicket brought about by a change of the bowling, Larosa caught at mid-off off Gibson’s ball.

South Australia continued to grind out some runs with the highlight being Ellie Johnston's 63 off 82 balls.  She and Barsby weathered a long section of tight bowling from Tasmania, and chipped away only being able to pick the field for the odd precious boundary. Johnston brought up her 50 with  a stylish 6 over covers off Karthryn Bryce's bowling just before second drinks. She looked to be finding her stride, but as is often the way was bowled by Carey the next ball after successfully threading through to the boundary. Carey now sat on 4 wickets, but was denied her 5 fer by a belligerent Amanda-Jade Wellington who hit her for 6 and 4 in Carey’s 10th over. Wellington's aggressive cameo of 20 runs came to an end with her run out at the non-strikers end, after chasing runs in the back of the innings. The tail fell cheaply, leaving South Australia on 196.  Carey the pick of the bowlers with 4-48 after 10 overs, but an honourable mention to Bryce 1-35 off her 10 overs, an economy rate that definitely helped keep the total limited.  

By the time Tasmania’s inning’s commenced Karen Rolton Oval was now bathed in warm afternoon sunshine.  With the outfield drying out it would seem that boundaries would come easier - but that proved not to be the case.  Opener’s Lizele Lee and Rachel Trenaman, unhurried by the chasable total, kept the scoreboard ticking over - but boundaries were hard won in the very early stages.  By the 7th over, however, the outfield was nipping and both Trenaman and Lee had the measure of the new ball and SA’s opening bowlers Courtney Neale and Ella Wilson.  

But never count SA out, especially with a bowling attack that includes Amanda-Jade Wellington, now ably assisted by Isabella Malgioglio.  Between them the rate of runs was brought down, and in the 15th over Wellington affected a breakthrough with Lee succumbing for 60 off a great running catch by Penna, followed by Carey being bowled for a duck.   Villani worked to support Trenaman as Adelaide life literally flew past (a helicopter swooping over the oval on its way to the next door hospital).  But the temptation to knock the runs off at a fast rate saw Villani go for a boundary in the air, but finding opposing captain Jemma Barsby instead. A few overs later Kathryn Bryce was at the crease, and together with Trenaman weathered the tight mid-innings spin, keeping the score ticking along.  It was all they needed to do, and by the 36th over a cover drive by Trenaman found the boundary to both make the total and carry her bat for 75 not out.  

So brought to a close a fascinating weekend of cricket, Tasmania had done their homework over the rest day, and came up with successful plans to combat the SA batting attack.  They capatalised on the momentum of a first ball wicket to keep SA to 196, quite a feat on a famously batter friendly Oval.  

Helen (Crystallised Cricket) is a writer based in Dharug and Gundagarra country, and here is writing about a game played on Kaurna country. She acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands that she writes from.