The eleventh edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) delivered a commanding performance at the Drummoyne Oval in Sydney, where the Sydney Thunder Women finally opened their account for the season, claiming their first win in four attempts with a dominant nine-wicket victory over the Perth Scorchers Women.
For the Scorchers, the defeat marked their third loss in five matches, deepening concerns around their inconsistent campaign. Having won the toss, the Thunder opted to field first—and their decision was fully justified by a composed, disciplined outing with the ball.
Sent in to bat, the Scorchers lost wickets at regular intervals and could never quite seize full control of their innings. Beth Mooney (17 off 25) fell first, bowled by Chamari Athapaththu, before Katie Mack provided the only substantial resistance with a superb 79 off 57, striking nine fours with impressive fluency.
Apart from her, the Scorchers’ innings faltered: Freya Kemp (11 off 6) was run out, Paige Scholfield (4 off 2) fell lbw to Lucy Finn, while Sophie Devine (1 off 5) was caught off Taneale Peschel. Mikayla Hinkley (15 off 18) and Chloe Ainsworth (11 off 7) produced small but handy contributions, yet none could build around Mack long enough to lift the total further.
The Scorchers eventually finished at 150/7, a competitive but slightly under-par total. Shabnim Ismail (1/30), Peschel (1/22), Samantha Bates (1/18), Finn (1/29) and Athapaththu (1/21) each claimed a wicket.
In response, the Thunder produced their most assured batting performance of the season. Georgia Voll set the tone with a powerful 43 off 31, striking seven boundaries before falling to Lilly Mills, caught by Beth Mooney. From there, the chase belonged entirely to the partnership between captain Phoebe Litchfield and keeper Tahlia Wilson.
Wilson crafted a composed 55* off 44, while Litchfield played with typical control and precision, finishing unbeaten on 50 off 35, an innings studded with five fours and a six. Their unbroken 86-run stand ensured the Thunder never dipped behind the asking rate, rotating strike efficiently and punishing loose balls with assurance.
Perth’s bowlers toiled without penetration, with Mills (1/19) the only wicket-taker, while the rest remained wicketless. The Thunder crossed the target comfortably in 18.2 overs, closing at 154/1, sealing a much needed and highly convincing win. With this result, the Thunder finally got themselves on the board this season, while the Scorchers slipped to another disappointing defeat.
Unsurprisingly, the player of the match award belonged to the Thunder captain Phoebe Litchfield, whose fluent unbeaten fifty played a central role in guiding her side to their first victory of the campaign.
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