Add Category
Australian captain Meg Lanning has posted a half-century in her last hit-out before the world champions play Pakistan in an ODI series.
- Lanning will captain Australia in the ODIs against Pakistan
- She scored 61 for Victoria in its WNCL match against NSW
- Teammate Ellyse Perry says Lanning's innings was "exceptional"
After last year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, 30-year-old Lanning took an extended break from cricket but confirmed in December she would be available for the Pakistan series, which begins on January 16 in Brisbane.
Lanning played two matches for Victoria's WNCL side this week and managed a respectable 29 opening the batting in her first appearance against NSW on Thursday.
In her second match, Victoria needed to pull off a record WNCL run chase after NSW posted 7-283 from its 50 overs at Melbourne's Junction Oval.
Lanning forged a 104-run partnership with national teammate Ellyse Perry but, on 61, she belted a Hannah Darlington full toss to deep mid-wicket, where she was caught by reliable fielder Erin Burns.
Victoria eventually secured a seven-wicket win with just over 11 overs to spare, while Perry finished 130 not out from 95 deliveries to earn player-of-the-match honours.
"I thought Meg was exceptional today," Perry said after the match.
"She struck them really well. I thought, once she got past that 20 patch, she really just kicked on. Some of the shots she played were really great, free-flowing cricket.
"It's so nice to have her back in the group."
Perry's century was her second consecutive ton after she scored 147 from 125 deliveries in Victoria's 88-run win over NSW on Thursday.
Australia will face Pakistan at Brisbane's Allan Border Field in the opening two ODIs, before the third match is contested at North Sydney Oval on January 21.
Three T20Is will follow, with North Sydney Oval (January 24), Hobart's Bellerive Oval (January 26) and Canberra's Manuka Oval (January 29) hosting the matches.
AAP/ABC