The 8th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (W-BBL) is underway and match no.2 had Sydney Thunder play Hobart Hurricanes at the Blacktown International Sportspark in Sydney. The game witnessed the latter despite having posted a below-par total, get a win on board following a confident bowling outing.
1st innings : Hobart Hurricanes – 125/5 (20.0)
Hobart Hurricanes put in to bat first had Lizelle Lee start well, but a struggling Elyse Villani departed early on the score of 3(11) with 19 on board and the team closed out their powerplay with 23/1 on board. Lee eased a little pressure with a maximum, but was the next to depart on the score of 25(27) with 38 on board inside the 9th over. New batters in the middle, Mignon du Preez and Rachel Trenaman guided the team’s total to 49/2 at the halfway stage. The pair gathered runs and shared a crucial 49-run stand that came to an end with Rachel Trenaman’s wicket on 31(31), shortly after she’d smashed a couple of maximums. Heather Graham started well, but the side lost a wicket more in Mignon du Preez who’d just clicked, but had to depart on the score of 33(27). Nicola Carey departed for 5(8) and Heather Graham’s 17*(15) pushed Hobart Hurricanes to close out on the score of 125/5.
Sydney Thunder with the ball had Chloe Tryon and Samantha Bates with a couple of wickets each to their name having finished with respective figures of 3-0-14-2 and 4-2-16-2, while Sammy-Jo Johnson too had a wicket to her name.
2nd innings : Sydney Thunder – 106/9 (20.0)
Sydney Thunder in reply had Phoebe Litchfield start well, but lost partner Tammy Beaumont on the score of 4(7) with 21 on board at the end of the 3rd over. Litchfield then was partnered by Anika Learoyd and the pair guided the team’s total to 31/1 at the end of 6 overs. Anika’s dot ball pressure got to Phoebe Litchfield as she departed for 25(25) and Rachael Haynes then joined Anika. The Thunder at halfway stage were 48-2 and within the next couple of overs, the side lost both, Anika on 15(25) and skipper Haynes on 5(11) as the scoreline read 53/4. Tahlia Wilson and Chloe Tryon put on a crucial 30-run stand that came to an end with the wicket of Tryon on 9(10) and the side lost a wicket more as Sammy-Jo Johnson departed for 1(2) in the same 17th over. Tahlia Wilson held an end, but in the next couple of overs, she lost partners in Lea Tahuhu on 1(3) and Lauren Bell on 3(4), before departing off the last ball of the innings on the score of 26(30). The Thunder closed out on 106/9 and fell 19 short of the required.
Hobart Hurricanes had Heather Graham and Molly Strano with 3 wickets each to their name and economical spells having finished on respective figures of 4-0-15-3 and 3-0-18-3. Maisy Gibson and Nicola Carey bagged a wicket and two respectively and finished with figures of 4-0-13-1 and 4-0-26-2 respectively.
Result : Hobart Hurricanes won by 19 runs