The dominance of Launceston cricketers in the Sri Lankan town of Dambulla continued with Kristen Beams spinning Australia to victory.
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On the same ground where George Bailey scored 160 runs in two One-Day Internationals en route to winning man of the series earlier this month, his fellow NTCA product starred with the ball.
Beams took 3-16 off eight overs and then joked about spending more time in a country she previously visited with Australia’s development team.
“I asked how I could get a passport because they are really great conditions here for spinners,” said the 31-year-old leggie.
“I will certainly take some confidence from having the opportunity to be here with the Shooting Stars so it’s nice to come over and know the conditions a little bit.”
Beams, originally of Exeter and now living in Melbourne, came into the Southern Stars’ attack after quicks Holly Ferling (3-4) and Megan Schutt (2-5) had ripped through the top order.
Erin Osborne (2-24) also chipped in to restrict the home side to 76 which Australia chased down with four wickets and 34.2 overs remaining.
“We’ve talked about really starting well and it was great for the bowlers to have the opportunity to do that,” Beams said. “It was nice as a spinner to be able to come in and take a few wickets off the back of a really good opening partnership.
“Being able to have attacking fields when you come on to bowl and knowing that there’s already a few batters back in the sheds and there’s probably a little bit more confidence on our end, I think that’s great as a bowler to come into that situation.
“It was nice to bowl well, do my job for the skipper and hopefully I can continue to do that.”
The second of four ODIs is at the same venue on Tuesday.