Strikers strike Hurricanes in their first encounter this season

It was an all-round performance from Adelaide Strikers, who won by 45 runs after being asked to bat first. Their overseas international openers Suzie Bates and Tammy Beaumont got them off to the perfect start and they never looked back from there. The Strikers will be encouraged by this start considering they have so far failed get going in their previous two campaigns.

The Strikers top order does look imposing and that is exactly what they proved today at the Gliderol Stadium, Glenelg. Bates and Beaumont are accomplished performers and they scored 47 from the powerplay, 12 of those coming in the first over.

Bates would fall shortly after the powerplay, but Tahlia McGrath kept up the intent and put on 48 for the second wicket. The Hurricanes did not help themselves by dropping four catches some like Nicola Hancock dropping Bridget Patterson, Hancock running in got to the ball but couldn’t quite hold on.

It was a difficult day for the Hobart Hurricanes bowlers as each of the incoming batters kept their individual strike-rate over a run a ball.

It was the batting of Sophie Devine who was the most brutal. She came in with the score on 114 for 3 as the top order hit the ground running. Beaumont hot the first six, and Bates regularly found the boundary in her innings of 31 from 24 balls. Devine stole the show with 46 not out from only 21 balls that included four 4’s and two sixes.

It meant that the Hurricanes would now have to overhaul the Strikers highest WBBL total of 181 for 3. It was going to be important for the Hurricanes were going to score quick runs right from the start. That is never easy when Megan Schutt is bowling to you and, so it proved.

Lauren Winfield the England World Cup winner was the first wicket to fall as Schutt trapped her lbw for 7. It did bring in the dangerous Hayley Matthews the young West Indies allrounder, and she started to go after Schutt. Matthews hit her second ball for four and them played a ramp shot off the same bowler appearing to change her shot halfway through, it found the boundary all the same.

With Georgia Redmayne supporting Matthews it looked as if there was going to be an exciting finish in store. That never materialised, as wickets fell at regular intervals. Redmayne was run out as Matthews called her through for a quick single. Redmayne was unsure and stumbled being run out by a long way.

Matthews now knew that she would have to be the player that would have to bat to the end, it wasn’t to be as in the eleventh over she holed out in the deep as Samantha Betts took the catch to give Rhiannon Dick her first wicket of the tournament.

The two teams meet again tomorrow, and the Hurricanes will be keen to avenge this defeat. Despite the one-sided nature of the game, there is enough encouragement for the Hobart side to turn it around, while the Strikers will look to continue a good start.

 

Flash Scores:

Adelaide Strikers 181/3 (S Devine 46, B Hepburn 2/35) beat Hobart Hurricanes 138/9 (H Matthews 35, T McGrath 2/15) by 45 runs.