The Meteors need to win both their Twenty20 games against South Australia this weekend, starting with Friday's match at Chisholm Oval, to stay in the hunt for the play-offs.

They will have to do without New Zealand international Nicole Browne, who is unavailable for this Women's National Cricket League round and has been replaced by fellow all-rounder Kira Churchland.

Bates will be given the role of making early inroads at the start of the innings. The 21-year-old has relished the extra responsibility and pressure of having only two fielders outside the circle.

Bates claimed 4-7 in a Twenty20 game at Freebody Oval last month along with a haul of 3-31 in a 50-over game against the star-studded NSW Breakers at Wagga Wagga. ''I'm glad my captain has enough faith in me to let me open the bowling,'' Bates said.

''It's tough knowing you've only got two out that you need to bowl a certain line and length, and if you don't get that right you could be hit for six runs.

''You have to have really good plans and bowl to them.''

The Meteors sit fourth on the Twenty20 ladder and fifth in the one-day competition with two rounds left. They finish the season away to the Queensland Fire in Brisbane from December 20-22.

The Meteors are desperate to bounce back from a difficult series against the Breakers where they dropped all three games.

''You always know it's going to be a tough game when you come up against NSW,'' Bates said.

''They've got 10 Australian players, so you take out the little positives and the one percenters you did in the game.

''I was just happy they weren't hitting me around the park.''

WNCL: ACT Meteors v South Australia at Chisholm Oval. Friday - Twenty20 game at 3pm. Saturday - one-day game at 10am. Sunday - Twenty20 game at 10am.