Thunder, Hurricanes, Renegades end first WBBL weekend with victories

The first festival weekend of the fifth edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) came to an end with three teams Sydney Thunder, Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Renegades registering victories over Brisbane Heat, Melbourne Stars and Adelaide Strikers, respectively, on Sunday (October 20).

In the first clash at North Sydney Oval between Heat and Thunder, the reigning champions opted to bat first. Riding on the back of contributions from wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney (35) and allrounder Jess Jonassen (42), Heat posted a total of 150 for the loss of nine wickets. Mooney along with skipper Kirby Short gave a perfect start to the innings, adding 44 runs for the opening wicket before Samantha Bates got the breakthrough as she bowled Mooney with a full delivery. This led to Heat's downfall, with the rest of the line-up struggling to put together partnerships of any real value. For Thunder, Bates and Nida Dar picked up three and two wickets, respectively.

In reply, Thunder got off to a brilliant start with the top-order batters smashing back to back boundaries. Despite the fall of Rachel Priest (31), unbeaten knocks from Alex Blackwell (42*) and Phoebe Litchfield (52*), who was adjudged Player of the Match, handed Thunder a comfortable seven-wicket win. For Heat, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Delissa Kimmince and Grace Harris took one wicket each.

In St. Kilda, Hurricanes sent Stars in to bat. Lizelle Lee, Emma Inglis and Mignon du Preez were the only three who could cross the 20-run mark, but the dot ball pressure and regular wickets taken by Belinda Vakarewa (2 for 22) and Nicola Carey (2 for 27) restricted Stars to 136 for the loss of seven wickets.

In reply, Hurricanes faced a mini wobble at the top but an unbeaten 46-ball 60 by Player of the Match, Carey and Chloe Tryon's (29*) cameo took Hurricanes home. For Stars, Kristen Beams and Erin Osborne picked up two wickets each but it was not sufficient to turn the tables.

In the third match between Strikers and Renegades, Strikers’ Sophie Devine shone with both bat and ball but could not take her side over the line at Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide. Devine hammered Renegades’ bowlers around the park after Strikers elected to bat first. Although the Kiwi star missed her fifty, her 30-ball 48 left Strikers in a good position before Bridget Patterson (38) pushed the score to 152 for the loss of five wickets. For Renegades, Maitlan Brown and Molly Strano returned with two wickets each.

In reply, Renegades faced an early hiccup as they lost Sophie Molineux for a golden duck. However, England duo Danielle Wyatt (61), who was adjudged Player of the Match, and Tammy Beaumont (41) combined to do the bulk of scoring. Towards the end, skipper Jess Duffin's 26 ensured a five-wicket win for Renegades.

Brief scores:

Brisbane Heat 150/9 (Jess Jonassen 42, Beth Mooney 35; Samantha Bates 3-33, Nida Dar 2-22) lost to Sydney Thunder 153/3 (Phoebe Litchfield 52*, Alex Blackwell 42*) by 7 wickets. PoM: Phoebe Litchfield.

Melbourne Stars 136/7 (Lizelle Lee 25, Mignon du Preez 23, Belinda Vakarewa 2-22, Nicola Carey 2-27) lost to Hobart Hurricanes 137/5 (N Carey 60*, Chloe Tryon 29*; Kristen Beams 2-23, Erin Osborne 2-25) by 5 wickets. PoM: Nicola Carey.

Adelaide Strikers 152/5 (Sophie Devine 48, Bridget Patterson 38; Maitlan Brown 2-20, Molly Strano 2-28) lost to Melbourne Renegades 154/5 (Danielle Wyatt Wyatt 61, Tammy Beaumont 41; Sophie Devine 2-32) by 5 wickets. PoM: Danielle Wyatt.