27 November 2007 By Graham Croker
Universities Women’s Cricket Club has no shortage of players to turn to when decisions need to be made.
And the announcement last week of Sara Hungerford as captain of NSW’s A team has added another to the ranks.
UWCC captain Lisa Sthalekar, the 2006-07 International Women’s Cricketer of the Year, is also captain of the NSW Breakers and vice-captain of Australia.
NSW vice-captain Alex Blackwell and stand-in vice-captain Kate Blackwell are also UWCC players.
Hungerford, a fourth-year medical student, joins the ranks, giving UWCC players leadership of NSW’s First XI and Second XI.
Hungerford celebrated the captaincy announcement by top-scoring for UWCC in their limited overs win over Gordon at University Oval on Sunday.
The students scored 217 off their fifty overs, with Gordon managing 188 in reply.
Hungerford led the way with 71 and took 2-26, while Sthalekar scored 30.
Meanwhile, NSW began their 2007-08 Women's National Cricket League campaign with a seven-wicket bonus point victory over the South Australia Scorpions at Bankstown Oval.
Sthalekar cracked 56 from 57 balls, while Alex Blackwell held the innings together with 75 not out, which included a 97-run third-wicket partnership with the skipper.
Sthalekar also took 2-7 to be named Player of the Match.
The NSW Breakers staged a fightback the following day to win the second game of the double headers against South Australia by 25 runs.
The tide seemed to turn in Sunday’s fixture when NSW were restricted to 148 off 49.1 overs. Alex Blackwell again top-scored, this time with 52, while Jenny Gunn (3-23) and Shelley Nietsche (2-28) kept a rein on the scoring.
Although she missed out with the bat, Stalker is never out of the game, and her 10 overs resulted in a miserly 2-9. With 17-year-old Elyse Perry taking 3-21 at the other end, the Scorpions were snuffed out for 123.
With the WNCL entering its 12th season, NSW are chasing a 10th title.
The two sides also contested a Twenty20 fixture at Alan Davidson Oval.
Quick fire half-centuries to Leah Poulton and Kate Blackwell were the highlights as NSW defeated South Australia.
Poulton and Kate Blackwell shared in a 70-run second-wicket partnership, with Blackwell remaining 67 not out from 46 balls, including nine fours.
In reply South Australia, who were without captain Karen Rolton, were bowled out for 82 in 14.1 overs. Nitschke was their top-scorer with 22 from 12 deliveries while Kate Blackwell cleaned up the lower order with her off-breaks to finish with 4-8 from 2.1 overs.
The next round of matches will be against the 2006-07 runners up, Victoria Spirit, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 8-9.