A strong bowling performance by the WA bowlers, followed by a clinical chase by Chloe Piparo and Mathilda Carmichael inspired WA to an eight-wicket victory over Victoria at the WACA Ground this afternoon.
Dominant WA crush strong Victoria outfit
Australia star Meg Lanning has marked her comeback to competitive cricket by top scoring for Victoria in their domestic 50-over clash with Western Australia.
However it was WA who walked away with the points - despite opener Beth Mooney falling for a duck - after a brilliant innings from captain Chloe Piparo, who hit an unbeaten 98 to see the hosts to their target of 177 in 35.1 overs with eight wickets in hand.
Victoria were sent into bat by WA, struggling to 176 all-out in the 48th over.
Youngster Chloe Ainsworth was the star early on, playing in just her second WNCL match, capturing the big wicket of Australian international Annabel Sutherland for just 1.
Superstar Ellyse Perry was her next victim, when she skied a pull shot which was well caught by Lilly Mills. The 17-year-old then finished her spell by getting the dangerous Nicole Faltum dismissed caught at mid on.
Ainsworth bowled with excellent control and pace, to finish with the fine figures of 3-27 from her eight overs.
The only valuable contributions other than Lanning came from Ella Hayward (40 not out) and opener Sophie Reid (32).
Seamer Zoe Britcliffe (3-25) broke the game open during the middle overs, removing Aussie pair Meg Lanning and Georgia Wareham in quick succession, before returning to remove tailender Rhys Mckenna in the back part of the innings.
Fellow star Ellyse Perry is also back for Victoria after overcoming a knee issue and has been cleared for Australia's first T20I against West Indies at North Sydney Oval on Sunday.
Perry was dismissed for eight, while fellow Australian squad members Annabel Sutherland (1), Georgia Wareham (1) and Kim Garth (0) also departed cheaply.
Alana King, who is not in Australia's T20I squad but will join the national side in Brisbane ahead of the first one-dayer against West Indies, took 1-31 off 10 overs.
Garth made an early impact with ball in hand, removing both Mooney (0) and first drop Maddy Darke (12) but Victoria were unable to make any further inroads as Piparo and Mathilda Carmichael (55no) took control of the chase.
Piparo was on 92 when she hit a perfectly timed six to see WA to their target.
The teams will meet again in their second game on Thursday, with Lanning expected to play, while Perry, Sutherland, Wareham and Mooney will instead fly to Sydney to link up with their national teammates.