The 48th match of the seventh edition of Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) will be played between Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Thunder at Harrup Park in Mackay on November 17. While Melbourne Renegades are sitting at the top of the table with seven wins from 11 matches, Sydney Thunder are lagging behind at number 7 position with just three wins from 11 matches.
Squads
Melbourne Renegades: Sophie Molineux (captain), Makinley Blows, Josephine Dooley, Jess Duffin, Holly Ferling, Ella Hayward, Jonathon Webb, Ellie Falconer, Evelyn Jones, Carly Leeson, Rhiann O Donnell, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur
Sydney Thunder: Samantha Bates, Hannah Darlington (captain), Sammy-Jo Johnson, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Kate Peterson, Olivia Porter, Lauren Smith, Tahlia Wilson, Corinne Hall, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Isabelle Wong
Players to watch out for
Harmanpreet Kaur:
The India’s T20I captain has been in red hot form this WBBL season, both with the bat and with the ball. She is among the top 10 run getters of the tournament, having muscled 309 runs in nine innings at an average of 61.8 and strike rate of 137.33. She has hit 16 sixes, which is the most by any batter in this WBBL season. With the ball, she has picked up 12 wickets and is among the top 10 wicket-takers of the tournament.
Sophie Molineux:
The skipper of Melbourne Renegades was the player of the match in the last match which she played against Melbourne Stars. The left arm spinner, who opened the bowling, claimed 2-10 in her four overs. Apart from being among the wickets, she was the most economical bowler in that match as she did not allow the batters to score freely of her.
Isabelle Wong:
The English quick, who represents Sydney Thunder, was the player of the match in her last outing against Sydney Sixers, having scalped 2-27 in her four overs. She picked up the key wickets of Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner. She bowled tight lines and lengths, keeping the opposition batters at bay.
Smriti Mandhana:
The stylish southpaw was the top run scorer for Sydney Thunder in the last match against Sydney Sixers. She hammered 45 runs off 39 balls, including half a dozen boundaries. She led the run chase and ensured that her team achieved a comfortable win chasing 95 runs. During her innings she played some breathtaking shots.
Weather
The weather is expected to be partly cloudy with an average temperature of 24 degrees Celsius. There is a 15% chance of precipitation with 36% cloud cover. The wind is expected to blow from the east-southeast.
Pitch
Out of the last four matches that have been played at this venue, teams batting first have won once, while teams batting second have won thrice. It is likely that the captain who wins the toss will elect to field first. The average first innings score has been 105 and the average second innings score has been 95. The fast bowlers have enjoyed bowling at this venue.
Fantasy playing XI
Josie Dooley, Tahlia Wilson, Jemimah Rodrigues, Phoebe Litchfield, Smriti Mandhana, Courtney Webb, Harmanpreet Kaur, Sophie Molineux, Hannah Darlington, Isabelle Wong, Ellie Falconer
Match details
Date: November 17, 2021
Time: 1.35pm IST
Venue: Harrup Park, Mackay
Live streaming: Sony LIV
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.
