Hobart complete record-breaking chase, Gades stun Perth
Rob Forsaith and Scott Bailey |
Hobart have pulled off the greatest chase in their WBBL history before Melbourne Renegades provided an upset for the ages by shocking Perth to claim their first win.
On a day of upsets at Junction Oval that has left one win separating first from last on the WBBL ladder, Hobart shone brightest against Brisbane Heat in Melbourne.
After Grace Harris rebounded from Australia’s World Cup disappointment to hit 75 in Brisbane’s 5-173, the Hurricanes chased the tally down with two balls to spare.
English veteran Danni Wyatt-Hodge provided the majority of the heavy lifting, despite the Hurricanes’ previous best chase only being 145.
Wyatt-Hodge smashed 62 from 35 deliveries, earning player-of-the-match honours, after combining for a sizzling 55-run opening stand with Lizelle Lee in the first six overs.
Lee’s dismissal for 38 failed to curb the momentum of Wyatt-Hodge, who struck six fours and three sixes in her game-changing innings.
And while Nicola Carey fell to a sensational Nadine de Klerk catch and Wyatt-Hodge was out in the 14th over, the equation only ever got out to 33 runs from the final three overs.
But late hitting from Heather Graham (26no from 14 balls) kept Hobart in the chase, before Elyse Villani reverse-swept the Hurricanes to victory with her second four in a dramatic final over from Charlie Knott.
If Hobart’s seven-wicket win over the previously undefeated Brisbane was an upset, the Renegades’ comfortable triumph over Perth could prove one of the shocks of this season.
Beaten in both of their opening games and wooden-spooners last year, the Renegades bowled superbly to have heavyweights Perth all out for 140.
Sophie Molineux was particularly brilliant with 4-17 from her four overs, bowling Amy Jones and Chloe Piparo in the middle before helping clean up the tail.
All 10 of the Scorchers’ wickets fell to spin, with Hayley Matthews, Alice Capsey and Georgia Wareham taking two each as the pressure continually told.
Beth Mooney hit 36 up top for the Scorchers, but after she fell trying to scoop Capsey it was only Alana King (26 off 15) that truly got going.
The Renegades then made light work of the chase, with Courtney Webb hitting Chloe Ainsworth over the long-on rope in the first over and taking 12 off the next from spinner Lilly Mills.
In her 79th WBBL match, Webb finished with her highest score of 61, dominating a 102-run opening stand with Hayley Matthews that helped the Renegades to victory with 14 balls to spare.
The results leave Sydney Thunder top of the ladder ahead of Brisbane with two wins and one loss, while two-time defending champions Adelaide are last with a 1-2 record early in the shortened 10-round season.
AAP