Sophie Molineux delivered a captain’s performance when Melbourne Renegades needed it most, becoming only the second Renegades bowler after Molly Strano to complete 100 WBBL wickets for the club.
Her outstanding 4 for 22 against the defending champions Hobart Hurricanes at Bellerive Oval on 4 November 2026 was instrumental in a tense last-ball victory, giving the Renegades their first win of WBBL 12 after two opening defeats.
Winning the toss and choosing to bowl, Molineux made an immediate impact. On the first ball of her spell, the second over of the innings, she removed wicket-keeper batter Lizelle Lee for 6 off 6 balls, and followed up by dismissing Rachel Trenaman for a two-ball duck in the same over. The early double strike set the tone for a disciplined Renegades bowling effort.
Sophie Molineux returned later to remove Heather Graham for 9 off 13 balls and Maddy Green for 17 off 16, finishing with exceptional figures of 4-0-22-4. Her four-wicket haul restricted the Hurricanes to 154 for 7 in their 20 overs, despite a fighting captain’s innings from Nicola Carey, who top-scored with 62 from 43 deliveries.
The milestone carried added significance. Molineux became the second Melbourne Renegades bowler, after former off-spinner Molly Strano, now with the Hobart Hurricanes, to pass 100 WBBL wickets for the club. She also stands as the Renegades’ second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament’s history.
Since making her WBBL debut for Melbourne Renegades on 11 December 2015 against Hobart Hurricanes at Launceston, Molineux has taken 101 wickets in 110 innings across 115 matches, at an average of 23.93 and an economy rate of 6.75, with five four-wicket hauls. Her best figures for the club remain 4 for 17 against Perth Scorchers at Melbourne on 2 November 2024, a performance that helped the Renegades win by six wickets.
Her most productive WBBL seasons with the ball came in the fourth edition in 2018 and the tenth edition in 2024, when she claimed 16 wickets in each campaign, 32 in total from 21 innings, including two four-wicket hauls across 21 matches. Appointed Renegades captain in 2021, Molineux led the club to its maiden WBBL title in 2024, defeating Brisbane Heat by seven runs in the final at Melbourne.
The chase against Hobart tested that leadership. Coming in at number four, Molineux made a quick 6 from 4 balls, including a boundary, before the Renegades’ pursuit went deep into the final over. Needing one from the last delivery, the game appeared destined for a tie and a Super Over, until Lizelle Lee collected the ball in front of the stumps, only for the TV umpire to rule it a no-ball. That decision handed Melbourne Renegades a dramatic four-wicket win.
The result was especially timely for a side that had endured a difficult start to the tournament. Molineux had gone wicketless in the first two games, with the Renegades losing their opener to Sydney Thunder, led by Phoebe Litchfield, by six wickets at Junction Oval on 29 October, before a nine-wicket defeat to Beth Mooney’s Perth Scorchers in Perth on 31 October.
Skipper Sophie Molineux’s return to form with the ball, combined with her calm leadership in a nail-biting finish, could prove a turning point in Melbourne Renegades’ campaign. They will look to build on the momentum when they face Tahlia McGrath’s Adelaide Strikers at Junction Oval on 7 November in the 13th match, starting at 10:10 AM IST.
I am Yash Tailor, and I believe work should be driven by passion. Therefore, after completing my Engineering, I chose to work in the Cricket industry, my passion. My goal is to reach a stage where I truly enjoy what I do and give my best to every task with energy and purpose.