Tayla Vlaeminck took three wickets in the Hobart Hurricanes' win. (Photo: Hobart Hurricanes - Twitter)
A blistering spell of bowling from the Hobart Hurricanes’ Tayla Vlaeminck has helped the side to their second win of WBBL|07, edging themselves into the top four.
The Hurricanes have won their second game of WBBL|07 with a thrilling run chase after their opponents, the Melbourne Stars’ set target of 145 wasn’t enough, the team in purple completing the six-wicket win with four balls to spare.
Celebrating her 23rd birthday, Vlaeminck had a game to remember, becoming involved in each of the four wickets her team took in the first innings – three of her own, and holding onto a catch off former Victorian and Melbourne Renegades teammate Molly Strano’s bowling.
Bowling first at captain Rachel Priest’s call after winning the bat flip, the Hurricanes were on the back foot early as the Stars were 0/43 at the end of the first six overs.
Some wayward control from Vlaeminck early on yielded unneeded runs onto the Stars’ total, her second ball of her first over finding its way to the boundary, penalised with five no-balls after releasing her grip too early, the ball sailing waist-high and wide of Annabel Sutherland. Vlaeminck’s first over went for 11 runs in total, as she gave up another extra (a wide), and a four off the final ball.
However, through tight bowling coming out of the powerplay, the Hurricanes found a way for the run rate to trend downwards, and with Vlaeminck’s second over of the day, she got the breakthrough of the 48-run opening stand when she beat Annabel Sutherland for pace and bowled her.
Conceding three runs for the entire over, she continued her bowling exploits two overs later and despite a first-ball wide, she had Meg Lanning chop the ball onto the stumps for her second wicket of the day.
In almost an exact similar scenario three balls later, Vlaeminck sent Elyse Villani back to the sheds as she too chopped on, handing the Hobart bowler her third wicket of the afternoon.
The now-23-year-old completed her fourth over in the same spell, keeping a tight line, although was hit for six by Maia Bouchier, finishing with figures of 3/21.
Still looking to get involved despite being bowled out, Vlaeminck was tidy in the field, contributing to the wicket of Bouchier, taking a catch at deep long on off Strano’s bowling.
Vlaeminck wasn’t called upon to head out to the crease and contribute with the bat in the ensuing second-innings run chase, a 74-run third-wicket partnership between Nicola Carey (24 off 23) and Mignon du Preez (62 off 45) steering the Hurricanes towards victory.
Ruth Johnston couldn’t match her prowess with the bat that she showed in the loss to the Brisbane Heat yesterday, departing, bowled for a golden duck via a Kim Garth delivery. Rachel Priest was controlled for 23 off 27 before being caught and bowled by Sophie Day.
Following Carey’s wicket in the 15th over, du Preez combined with Indian import Richa Ghosh (24* off 16) who stayed to the end even after the South African’s wicket, hitting the winning runs in the final over.
More Cricket News
2021/22 Sheffield Shield Preview: Victoria
‘We’re a force to be reckoned with’: Hinkley breakout performance continues Heat streak
Steve Smith looks at the World Cup with an eye on the Ashes
Speaking post-game to Fox Cricket, Vlaeminck said it was an exciting way to cap off a special day, saying watching du Preez breeze through the innings in reply, on the sidelines was a nice way to finish the evening’s fixture.
“That’s a great way to spend [my birthday], I think that’s what I asked for at the start of the day,” she said.
“They were asking what they can get me and I said a win would be a beautiful way to end it so Minny (Mignon du Preez) did a great job and she hit some very big balls there so she made it look pretty easy out there.”
Speaking of the wicket she most enjoyed, she said bowling Stars captain Lanning was a great feeling, especially after she also detailed some lingering issues with her approach to bowling.
“I’ve had a few issues with the past couple of games with my run-up so it was just trying to get a track of that I suppose and the angles in running to the crease,” she mentioned.
“I was a little bit frustrated at times but I felt like I got back on the other end of it a couple of times. Leaking boundaries with five [no balls], probably not ideal to start your over so [it’s] something I need to work on but it’s getting there.”
Hobart has two wins on its record now and heads into the next set of fixtures in fourth place on the standings. Vlaeminck says the resilience exhibited by the side to put in a team effort in the field, and chasing with the bat was a pleasing aspect to their game.
“I think that’s been a big strength of our side, I think we’ve been in some tricky situations early on in games and I think our batters and tail-end as well, Molly Strano, Sash, Naomi as well, they’ve all been able to contribute,” she said.
“It just feels like we’re always in the game so I think that’s been a real highlight of our batting so far I think and we just showed it again tonight. A couple of early wickets kinda didn’t let us down which is really cool.”
The Hobart Hurricanes will be tested in their next match of WBBL|07, facing the top-of-the-table Brisbane Heat on October 30 from 7:30 pm at UTAS Stadium in Launceston.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
About Author
