NSW Breakers announce squad for WNCL Final

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NSW Breakers allrounder Ashleigh Gardner has been cleared to play in the Women’s National Cricket League Final against Queensland this Saturday after a late withdrawal from the team last weekend.

Gardner was withdrawn as a precaution just before the start of the match against ACT last Saturday after suffering mild concussion during warm-ups. The Breakers won that match with a bonus point to secure its place in a 23rd consecutive final and earn the chance to win a record 20th title.

“I’m fine, I think it was just more of a precautionary thing than anything, so I’m ready and raring to go,” Gardner said.

Australian wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy will captain the Breakers for the first time in a WNCL final, at North Sydney Oval, after she took over the role from the great Alex Blackwell following her retirement last season.

The deciding match may also be the final game for world class allrounder Ellyse Perry in the Breakers’ uniform.

Perry will move to Victoria next season to be with her husband, Australian rugby union player Matt Toomua, who has signed with the Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby side.

All 13 players selected in the squad for the Final were among the 14 players who travelled to Adelaide last week for the two must-win matches against South Australia and the ACT. Allrounder Lisa Griffith is the player omitted.

The Breakers secured a double-bonus point six-wicket win over the South Australian Scorpions and followed that with a five-wicket victory over the ACT Meteors.

Healy, Perry and Gardner are three of five Internationals in the Breakers squad who were part of the victorious Australian group at the Women’s World T20 in the West Indies during November.

They joined allrounder Nicola Carey and opening batter Rachael Haynes in that world champion squad.

Gardner returned to the Breakers this season after one WNCL campaign with the Scorpions in 2017/18.

It will be her first WNCL final since 2016/17 when the Breakers also defeated Queensland.

Gardner, 21, said she was happy to be back in another final with the Breakers.

“(It’s) an amazing thing to come back in to this squad and be in that final straight away.”

“This is obviously where I’m from … and I’ve been lucky enough to win one WNCL final with this team and hopefully go two out of three for me playing in the WNCL competition.”

NSW Breakers
Alyssa Healy ( c )
Sarah Aley
Nicola Carey
Lauren Cheatle
Rene Farrell
Ashleigh Gardner
Maisy Gibson
Rachael Haynes
Ellyse Perry
Rachel Trenaman
Lauren Smith
Naomi Stalenberg
Belinda Vakarewa