Megan Schutt found her mojo back to guide Adelaide Strikers to back-to-back victories in match no. 32 of the ongoing 10th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League.
The home side, Sydney Thunder led by skipper Phoebe Litchfield were up against Melbourne Stars led by skipper Annabel Sutherland at the Drummoyne Oval, Sydney in the 33rd match of WBBL 10.
Late runs push Melbourne Stars past the 100-run mark
The Melbourne Stars crawled through a total of 108/9 in their quota of 20 overs after Sydney Thunder skipper Phoebe Litchfield inserted the Stars to bat first after winning the toss. The Stars kept losing wickets at regular intervals and as a result, failed to find any sort of momentum throughout their innings.
The 29-run 7th wicket partnership between Ines Mckeon and Deepti Sharma played a crucial role in helping their side get past the 100-run mark. Kim Garth (20 off 16 balls), and wicket-keeper batter Sophie Reid (21 off 21 balls) top-scored for the Melbourne Stars. Hannah Darlington (4-0-26-3), Chamari Athapaththu (4-0-12-2), Samantha Bates (4-0-22-1), and Shabnim Ismail (4-0-23-0) were the bowlers to step-up for Sydney Thunder.
The Melbourne Stars fightback but Anika Learoyd guides Thunder over the line
The Stars bowlers made Sydney Thunder to toil hard for the victory as they took the game to the last over. Thunder eventually sealed the run chase with four wickets in hand and two balls to spare. Wicket-keeper batter Tahlia Wilson (33 off 40 balls), and Anika Learoyd (31* off 37 balls), were the stand-out performers with the bat for Sydney Thunder. Marizanne Kapp (4-0-20-3), Kim Garth (4-0-15-1), and Sophie Day (4-0-23-1) were the pick of the bowlers for Melbourne Stars.
Hannah Darlington was awarded the Player of the Match for her impactful spell with the ball for her side, helping Sydney Thunder extend their lead at the top of the WBBL 10 points table.
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