WNCL: Last-placed Western Australia bottle chance to upset Victoria in horror finish at Junction Oval

Western Australia has bottled a chance to upset Victoria, falling victim to a lone-wolf innings by all-rounder Tess Flintoff. Victoria needed 21 runs from 19 balls to chase down WA’s score of 8-275 when Flintoff was joined at the crease by diminutive No.11 Milly Illingworth at Junction Oval on Monday. The pair hit a boundary each off Rebecca McGrath’s 48th over, leaving them nine to win off two overs. McGrath was trusted again after Amy Edgar’s penultimate over went for two and Flintoff danced down the wicket to hit the first ball of that set for four. The winning runs were hit when McGrath went full and wide to Flintoff, who charged through for three. McGrath, a teenager playing just her second WNCL match, was trusted with the 38th and the final over, in a bizarre move. More experienced left-arm spinner Charis Bekker was left with six overs to spare. The final over was just her second in domestic cricket. Flintoff finished with 77 off 71 to engineer a one-wicket win with just two balls to spare. That’s after a throwback 95 off just 79 balls from champion former Australian captain Meg Lanning. It leaves Becky Grundy’s side anchored at the bottom of the ladder, with two matches against the struggling ACT Comets to come next week. They have won just won match this season. Chloe Piparo, playing her 101st game for the State, scored 77 and Mikayla Hinkley — WA’s off-season middle-order investment — raced to 83 off just 78 balls. Emerging opener Maddy Darke scored a run-a-ball 24, including four boundaries, the in-form Mathilda Carmichael made 22 and English all-rounder Naomi Dattani helped Hinkley along with her 30. WA bowled five spinners and played just two medium-pacers without frontline quick Taneale Peschel. Medium-pacer Zoe Britcliffe took two wickets in her first spell and returned to dismiss Jas Nevins. She finished with 3-65, while Edgar took 3-36.