A gallant Western Fury has suffered a heart-wrenching three wicket defeat at the hands of the Konica Minolta Queensland Fire in their Women's Twenty20 match at the Gabba.
In a thrilling encounter that whet the fans' appetite ahead of the Bulls-Warriors KFC Big Bash clash later in the evening, experienced Fire duo Jude Coleman and Kristen Pike got their team over the line with one ball to spare.
The Fury had earlier posted 6-114 from their 20 overs after skipper Peta Merrilees won the toss and chose to bat first. Opener Lauren Ebsary top-scored with 26, while veteran Cherie Bambury added 21 to the cause.
Wicket-keeper Jenny Wallace struck 19 in a 36-run opening stand with Ebsary, while Rene Farrell (16), Avril Fahey (ten not out) and Donna Brown (nine not out) contributed handy runs late in the innings.
Fire openers Melissa Bulow and Lyndall Daley got the home side's innings off to a flyer with a brisk 40-run partnership, but the introduction of the Fury spinners helped stem the run tide and produced regular wickets for the visitors.
Off-spinner Jess Moyes started the rot for the Fire, having Daley stumped by Wallace for 25 and bowling Bulow for 19, before snaring the prized scalp of Queensland and national Captain Jodie Fields for two. The Fire tumbled to 3-67, and also lost Fields for the upcoming WNCL double-header at Allan Border Field after she injured her hamstring trying to scramble back to the safety of her crease, which would be to no avail.
Rising star Delissa Kimmince struck 27 from just 23 balls, but her dismissal sparked a remarkable collapse which saw the home side lose 4-7 and slump to 7-89.
But Coleman (15 not out) and Pike (ten not out) showed their maturity in working the ball into the gaps and finding the singles required to keep their team on track, and they passed the Fury's total on the penultimate ball of their innings.
Moyes was the pick of the Fury bowlers, snaring 3-19 in a superb four over spell. Leg-spinner Mel Holmes also impressed in taking 2-14 from four, while Ebsary (1-13) and Farrell (1-16) were the other wicket-takers.
The result means the Fire claimed fourth place in the Women's Twenty20 competition, behind finalists Victoria and New South Wales, and the third-placed ACT. The Fury finished the competition in sixth, ahead of bottom of the table Tasmania.
The Fire and the Fury will go head-to-head in two WNCL matches tomorrow and Monday in Brisbane.
