Universities women’s cricket captain Alex Blackwell and team-mate Rachel Haynes smashed a number of records when they combined in a 387-run partnership in the season-opener against Northern District at the Village Green on Sunday.
The two Australian representatives put on the highest opening partnership in the Sydney women’s grade competition history, eclipsing the 224-run stand they shared against Gordon in October 2011.
It was also the highest partnership for any wicket, bettering the 244-run stand between Hannah Trollip and Lisa Sthalekar, for Gordon in the same match.
Blackwell’s 223 surpassed the previous highest individual score, which she held with 181. Her runs came off 138 balls and included 35 boundaries. Her last 50 came off just 18 balls.
It was also the first double century in the women’s grade competition and remarkably came in a 50-over match.
Haynes’s contribution to the partnership was 168 off just 109 deliveries, including 25 boundaries and four sixes.
Having won the toss and batted, Universities were 6-472 at the end of their 50 overs, the highest score by a team in women’s grade cricket.
They then restricted Northern District to 8-179 with Kara Sutherland picking up 3-16 and former New Zealand player Ros Kember, picking up 2-17 in her first game in three seasons.
Blackwell, the NSW captain, started the season in ominous form when she captained NSW Country to a come-from-behind win to collect the Lorna Thomas Trophy in the annual City v Country series on October 6 and 7.
The series was an important part of the NSW Breakers pre-season preparations providing an opportunity for young cricketers from the Cricket NSW Academy to play alongside and against NSW and Australian representatives.
This season’s Women’s City v Country series mirrored a round of the Women’s National Cricket League with the teams playing two T20 fixtures and a 50-over game to decide the victors.
The defending champions, City held a 1-0 lead heading into the long weekend after winning the 50-over fixture at Blacktown International Sportspark on September 29.
Country needed to win both T20 matches to claim the trophy and they responded with an 18-run victory in game two.
Batting first, Country posted 125 with Blackwell (45) and Erin Osborne (43) leading the way. Ellyse Perry (2-29) and Nicola Carey (2-16) were the pick of the City bowlers with two wickets each.
In reply, City were restricted to 7-107 from their 20 overs with Claire Koski cracking 29 and Ellyse Perry an unbeaten on 22.
In the third and deciding match of the series Country hit 134 with Blackwell (48) and Leah Poulton (33) the standouts. The score might have been much higher had it not been for the efforts of Sarah Aley who finished with the outstanding figures of 6-16.
As they had done the day before, City fell just short in their chase, ending their 20 overs on 6-128 to give Country a six-run victory in the match and a 2-1 series win.
