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| Bellerive to host world’s top women cricketers |
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TASMANIA’S cricket headquarters, Bellerive Oval, looks likely to host top international women’s cricket action next summer with four of the leading teams tipped to play in a warm-up tournament.
Although the Tasmanian Cricket Association lost to New South Wales in its bid to host the 2009 ICC Women’s One-Day World Cup, with the support of the State Government, it successfully moved to stage a series of warm-up matches in early March.  Australian captain Karen Rolton was the star of the Twenty20 curtain raiser at Bellerive Oval earlier this year and she is expected to lead her team again at Bellerive next summer. The participants will include the current world champions Australia and other top teams such as India and New Zealand. A Tasmanian invitation team with the inclusion of the State’s best young female cricketers will also play in the pre-World Cup tournament. The news follows the historic first-ever game of State women’s cricket played at Bellerive Oval earlier this year. Some of Australia’s leading women cricketers, including Australian captain Karen Rolton, took centre stage in a Twenty20 match played as a curtain raiser to the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash match between the Tasmanian Tigers and South Australia. As well as the Australian captain, national team members Shelley Nitschke and Kris Britt from South Australia were joined by fellow South Australian players Julie Woerner, Alicia Dean and Fiona Macdonald for the match along with Tasmania’s best female cricketers. The Tasmanian Invitational XI led by Shelley Nitschke won the toss and elected to bat on an excellent Bellerive Oval wicket. Nitschke and Woerner got off to an excellent start scoring 28 and 31 respectively, which enabled the team to record and impressive total of three for 131 after the required 20 overs. Amanda Silva was the best of the bowlers for the Tasmanian Chairman’s XI taking two wickets for 25 off her four overs. In reply Australian captain Karen Rolton demonstrated her class, top scoring with 71 not out, and combined with Kris Britt to lead her team to a comfortable victory with 15 balls to spare. The match provided up-and-coming Tasmanian female cricketers the opportunity to compete with some of the nation’s best players and give them a first taste of cricket at the highest level. This experience will be put to the test when they match it with the international visitors in the pre-World Cup tournament next summer.
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