Konica Fire set for Scorpions

Teenagers Reanna Browne and Kasee Marxsen will make their Women's National Cricket League debuts for the Konica Queensland Fire team in their opening round of matches at Allan Border Field this weekend.

Browne, 18, and Marxsen, 17, are the only new faces in the Fire team that meet the Southern Scorpions in one-day matches on Saturday and Sunday.

Browne, a leg-spinner who is regarded as one of the best fielders in the team, is originally from Longreach. She played for Queensland in practice matches last season against World Cup champions New Zealand but will make her official Fire debut this weekend.

Marxsen is a right-hand bat who scored 134 for her club side Sandgate-Redcliffe in her first game in first grade late last season after moving to Brisbane from Gladstone.

The Fire will also welcome in their ranks the presence of former Australian player Joanne Broadbent who is making a comeback after retiring at the end of the 2000-01 season.

Broadbent, an Australian player for more than a decade, will play against her old team that is led by Southern Stars trump Karen Rolton. The left-handed Rolton scored a century and 59 last week for South Australia against defending champions NSW and is regarded as one of the top two batters in the world along with Australian captain Belinda Clark.

Broadbent, a 36-year-old left-hander, was the first woman to score a Test double century, on the 1998 Ashes tour.

She moved to Brisbane in 2001 to work as a Regional Cricket Manager for Queensland Cricket and coached the Konica Queensland U-17 and U-19 women's teams last season.

Also returning to the Fire team is former Australian Youth allrounder Kelly Klibbe who missed all of last season after having a shoulder operation.

The team will be captained by Australian wicket-keeper Julia Price, one of six Australian squad members in the team along with Melissa Bulow, Sally Cooper, Tricia Brown, Cindy Kross and Belinda Matheson.

This weekend will also mark the WNCL debut of Fire coach Richard McInnes, who coached the Queensland Country men's team to the Australian Country Cricket title in Warrnambool last season.

Konica Queensland Fire v Southern Scorpions, Saturday and Sunday, at Allan Border Field: Julia Price (c), Belinda Matheson, Melissa Bulow, Joanne Broadbent, Sally Cooper, Tricia Brown, Kasee Marxsen, Megan White, Reanna Browne, Cindy Kross, Kelly Klibbe, Kristen Pike. Coach: Richard McInnes.