Renegades inflict first defeat on Strikers as they find some balance

Melbourne Renegades won their first game of WBBL03 by 9 runs, as they reversed the result against the opposition Adelaide Strikers that beat them only the day before. It was the Strikers first defeat and made the decision by Suzie Bates to bowl first even more surprising.

Yesterday the Strikers bowlers bowled with discipline and tight; it meant that the Renegades had to take risks early on, and succumbed to the pressure. Today was a different story as they offered width that allowed a rejigged top order to get their hands through the ball and finish the powerplay on 42 for 1.

Kris Britt moved up the order to open, it would mean that the Captain Amy Satterthwaite and Chamari Atapattu drop a place down the order. It gave the batting more depth and have their best players at the crease at the most important times.

Britt went early on for 9 as she played across the line to a ball pitching on middle from Megan Schutt. It brought Jess Duffin to the middle and along with Sophie Molineux got the Renegades off to a positive start.

With the score on 52 for 1 and Molineux hitting Bates first ball for four, the White Ferns player got her revenge the next ball with a ball that held up and Alex Price at point took the catch.

A partnership of 48 followed as Duffin along with Satterthwaite kept the score ticking over. Both players have scored fifties so far in this seasons WBBL and they were keen to carry on that form. Duffin looking to accelerate looked to loft Sophie Devine over the fence for six; Schutt patrolling the boundary took the catch on the second attempt.

The Renegades were on top, this is a Strikers side that doesn’t know when to give up and they got the wicket of Atapattu before she could get going and Devine took her second wicket.

Satterthwaite was intent on continuing her good form against the Strikers survived a couple of dropped catches but ran out of luck on 49 as she could only hit a return catch to Amanda-Jade Wellington.

With a platform set, it allowed Emma Inglis and Claire Koski to push the target over the 150 mark as the Renegades finished on 160 for 5 from their 20 overs.

With a strong top order, the Strikers are confident of chasing down any total, and the would have to fire today if they were to chase down a decent total. They were helped where helped when Bates was dropped on 1 as Maitlan Brown couldn’t hang on.

Tammy Beaumont who scored 45 only the day before could only score nine before she could only sky a Lea Tahuhu delivery to Duffin a mid-wicket.

Bates needed a player to stay with her and build a partnership. McGrath and Devine both got starts before getting out; Devine was well stumped by Inglis as Georgia Wareham got her first wicket.

When Bridget Patterson also departed it was now up to Bates to produce something special, and she looked in the mood to just that and hit three fours in succession before trying to cut Wareham to a ball that was too close to her stumps and was bowled.

The rate was climbing and none of the Strikers lower order was able to get the ball away regularly enough and when Schutt was caught by Koski at deep mid-wicket it saw the end of the Strikers chances and the Renegades were able to start celebrating their first win of the season.

Adelaide Strikers v Melbourne Renegades

Melbourne Renegades 160 for 5 (Satterthwaite 49, Devine 2 for 25)

Adelaide Strikers 151 for 9 (Bates 63, Tahuhu 2 for 20)