Rachael leads rout of Melbourne Stars

SYDNEY: Syndey Thunder continued their good start to WBBL 03 with a nine-wicket rout of a hapless Melbourne Stars at the Howell Oval in Sydney on Saturday.

Opener Rachael Haynes powered her way to an unbeaten 51-ball 78 (5 fours, 4 sixes) as Thunder chased down a target of 133 with 29 balls to spare. Thunder’s victory was their third in four games while the Stars remained winless from three after another morale-sapping defeat.

The signs were ominous for the Stars who lost the toss and then Lizelle Lee off the first ball of the match. That forced Anna Lanning and Mignon du Preez into a strangely extended period of consolidation. The pair did well to add 86 for the second wicket but consumed over 13 overs to do so. Du Preez scored a 49-ball 58 but Stars were guilty of not kicking on post that stand, scoring only 32 runs in the final five overs despite conserving all the wickets for a late-overs assault.

In stark contrast, Thunder’s opening duo of Haynes and Rachel Priest added 95 from 10.5 overs, all but sealing the chase in the process. Priest fell eight short of her half-century but Haynes stayed until the end to cap a dominant day in the office for Thunder.

Adelaide Strikers extended their unbeaten run and reclaimed their spot at the top of the points table with a sensational one-run victory over Melbourne Renegades at the Gliderol Stadium in Glenelg, Adelaide. The Strikers, defending 138, offset Amy Satterthwaite’s half-century with a collective bowling display that saw each of Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Devine and Amanda Wellington pick two wickets apiece in a tense finish to the game.

The see-saw battle boiled down to the final over of the game, with Renegades needing eight runs for victory. Hayley Jensen and Lea Tahuhu were kept down to four singles and a two by Suzie Bates. The vastly experienced New Zealander then caught bowled Tahuhu off the final delivery, sparking raucous celebrations in the Strikers camp.

For long periods in the game, it didn’t seem like it would end with a celebration in the blue camp after the Renegades struck at regular intervals to keep them down to 132 for 6. Tammy Beaumont top-scored with a sedate 45 but no other batter, save a brisk 10-ball 20 from Megan Schutt, scored quick enough for a competitive total. But they were covered up well by a smart opening spell from McGrath (2 for 27) that quickly reduced the Renegades to 38 for 4. Satterthwaite did most of the scoring thereafter, scripting small but useful stands with Emma Inglis and Claire Koski before Devine removed Satterthwaite caught by Bates with 18 to get off the final three overs. It ended rather painfully thereafter for the Renegades.

Brief scores: Melbourne Stars 132/4 in 20 overs (Mignon du Preez 58; Samantha Bates 1-16) lost to Sydney Thunder 135/1 in 15.1 overs (Rachael Haynes 78*, Rachel Priest 42; Erin Osborne 1-26) by nine wickets.

Adelaide Strikers 139/6 in 20 overs (Tammy Beaumont 45; Molly Strano 1-22) beat Melbourne Renegades 138/8 in 20 overs (Amy Satterthwaite 56; Tahlia McGrath 2-27, Sophie Devine 2-28) by one run.