ACT Meteors opening batter Katie Mack didn't give herself much of an off-season - she was battling through cold winter nights trying to come to grips with a new technique.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It's paid off in spades already after Mack put together a brilliant unbeaten century to give the Meteors the perfect start to their WNCL campaign.
Mack carried her bat and hit 13 boundaries on her way to a match-winning 113* (125) as the Meteors trounced Queensland by 66 runs at Manuka Oval on Sunday.
It's been almost three years since Mack broke through for her maiden ton, but one thing has remained the same - she seems to love scoring runs against Queensland.
The 24-year-old opening batter has scored both of her one-day centuries against the Fire, answering Meteors coach James Allsopp's call for someone to stand up and be counted.
"Katie Mack played exceptionally well, credit to her she's made some real big changes to her technique throughout the off-season and she's worked really hard to try and improve her game," Allsopp said.
"Today was a reward for all the work she put in. For two years she has seen that she's done okay at WNCL level.
"She identified in the off-season that she had to make some changes, so she changed her grip, changed her set-up. It took a lot of work for it to feel normal but now it's allowing her to play a lot more freely.
"Scoring a hundred at almost a run a ball, I don't think she would have been able to do that last summer. Credit to her for working so hard.
"We were having a laugh at the end, there's been plenty of cold winter nights at the indoor centre down at Bankstown in Sydney where she's worked on it... [Sunday] was just the reward for the hard work she's put in."
South African import Dane van Niekirk sparkled with 61 (57) alongside player of the match Mack to propel the hosts to 6-285.
Queensland were never in the hunt as Meteors bowler Hayley Jensen (5-33) ripped through the Fire's batting line-up to roll the visitors for 219.
Jensen left Victoria for Canberra in search of more opportunities and Allsopp has backed the former New Zealand representative to crack the Australian side now that she is eligible.
The Meteors started their season with a bang with a 30-run win over Victoria on Friday night but they're now facing a lengthy break before their next clash.
Awaiting the firing Meteors are the unbeaten reigning champions, New South Wales, with the sides set to collide at Perth's Murdoch University on November 26.
ACT coach James Allsopp is hopeful the Meteors will welcome back bowlers Maitlan Brown and Nicole Goodwin for the crucial clash, which will be followed by a date with Western Australia the next day.
The Meteors will play a three-day practice match against Australia in three weeks as they gear up for their looming Ashes campaign.
ACT METEORS 6-285 (Katie Mack 113*, Dane van Niekirk 61; Jess Jonassen 2-40, Holly Ferling 1-22) bt QUEENSLAND FIRE 219 (Delissa Kimmence 61, Tess Cooper 35; Hayley Jensen 5-33, Samantha Bates 2-15) by 66 runs at Manuka Oval on Sunday.
