Hurricanes start WBBL08 with comfortable win over Sydney Thunder

Women's CricZone Staff

14 Oct 2022

New Update

Hurricanes start WBBL08 with comfortable win over Sydney Thunder — Hurricanes beat Thunder by 19 runs © Getty Images

Hobart Hurricanes started their campaign with a comfortable win over Sydney Thunder in their season opener of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) on Friday (October 14) by 19 runs.

Thunder captain Rachael Haynes won the toss and opted to bowl first at the Blacktown International Sportspark in Sydney. The Hurricanes started slowly within the powerplay and lost captain Elyse Villani for three immediately after the powerplay. Her opening partner, Lizelle Lee, tried to punish the Sixers bowlers with a boundary and two sixes, but Sammy-Jo Johnson dismissed the former South African international before she could get going.

Tahlia Wilson and former South African captain Mignon du Preez took the Hurricanes past 80 with a partnership of 49 runs. Heather Graham chipped in with an unbeaten 17 off 15 on the tricky pitch in the death overs. Left-arm spinner Samantha Bates was the pick of the bowler for the home side. She bowled two maidens in the powerplay and took two important wickets of Villani and Nicola Carey. Chloe Tryon took two wickets as the Hurricanes scored 125 in the first innings.

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Sydney Thunder started with the new opening pair of Phoebe Litchfield and England international Tammy Beaumont. The left-hander Litchfield smashed two boundaries in Molly Strano’s second over. The off-spinner came back to get the prized wicket of Beaumont in the very same over. Litchfield and Anika Learoyd never got going and were dismissed for 25 and 15, respectively.

Graham and Strano broke the back of the Thunder chase with six wickets between them. Strano dismissed power-hitters Tryon and Johnson in the same over and the home side lost any hopes of a late surge. Carey took out the important wicket of Thunder captain Haynes to reach her 100th wicket in the WBBL. She also joined the elite club of players with 1000+ runs and 100+ wickets in the competition along with Graham and Jess Jonassen.

Thunder managed to score 106 runs in the chase, and Hurricanes won the match by 19 runs.

Brief Scores: Hobart Hurricanes 125/5 in 20 overs (Mignon du Preez 33; Chloe Tryon 2/14) beat Sydney Thunder 106 for nine in 20 overs (Tahlia Wilson 26, Heather Graham 3/15) by 19 runs

WBBL Sydney Thunder Hobart Hurricanes Women's Big Bash League 08, 2022