Heat wilt under relentless Renegades bowling performance

Brisbane Heat fought hard yesterday to stay in the game right until the end of the match yesterday. Today was a different story as they were steamrolled by a rampant Melbourne Renegades. The Heat recorded their lowest score in WBBL and equalled the lowest by any side in the competition, as the sides moved to the bigger Etihad Stadium. The Renegades never looked troubled in a ten-wicket victory with 55 balls to spare.

Wickets fell for the Heat at too regular intervals for them ever to post a competitive score. Half of their total was scored in the powerplay. By this point, they had lost three wickets. Unfortunately for the Heat, they were three big wickets.

Kirby Short the Heat captain was the first of those to fall in the first over; Lea Tahuhu got her line and length from the start and bowled Short facing her first ball.

The Renegades have the luxury of playing a spinner of the quality of Molly Strano in the powerplay overs and she took the wicket of Laura Wolvaardt, a promising South African who hasn’t really found her form so far in this competition.

The most crucial wicket was that of Beth Mooney who played across the line of a Maitlan Brown delivery only to be bowled.

When the powerful Deandra Dottin mistimed a full toss from the bowling of Tahuhu it gave Strano the easiest of catches to depart for 14 and leave the Heat in trouble on 39 for 5. Dottin along with Mooney were the only Heat players to make double figures, and it left the Renegades an easy target of 67 runs from 20 overs.

It gave the Heat openers the advantage of allowing themselves to play themselves in. Sophie Molineux who scored 40 against the same opposition yesterday was in no mood to have a few balls to play herself in and hit the first ball from Sammy-Jo Johnson for four.

Ten runs came from that first over, the Heat were able to reign in the scoring as the Renegades finished the power play on 28 for 0. Chamari Atapattu was playing the more watchful of the two, and although they finished the powerplay with fewer runs than the Heat, the wickets in handmade them comfortable favourites.

With the Renegades not certain of securing one of the semi-final spots they needed to make sure they won this game with plenty of balls to spare. Things weren’t going the Heat’s way when Molineux survived a dropped catch and missed stumping in the ninth over bowled by Jemma Barsby.

With Molineux continuing her fine form with the bat it allowed Atapattu to finally settle into the competition without the pressure of scoring the number of runs she does for Sri Lanka. With the Renegades not due to play until the new year they can enjoy their break.

The Heat will play again in six days’ time and they will be looking to put this game behind them. They need to turn things around quickly if they are going to turn their season around.

Melbourne Renegades v Brisbane Heat

Brisbane Heat 66 all out (Dottin 14, Satterthwaite 2 for 5)

Melbourne Renegades 67 for 0 (Molineux 45*)