Melbourne Renegades crush Sydney Thunder to claim top spot in WBBL 2024

by CricDirect Staff Saturday 23 November 2024

Melbourne Renegades

©CWP

Melbourne Renegades dominate Sydney Thunder with a nine-wicket win, climbing to the top of the WBBL 2024 standings after a stellar all-round performance.

Match Summary

Melbourne Renegades Women vs Sydney Thunder Women, Match 37

Melbourne Renegades Women 137/1 (14.2 ov)

Sydney Thunder Women 133/10 (19.1 ov)

Melbourne Renegades Women won by 9 wickets

SCORECARD

Match Analysis

he Melbourne Renegades have crushed the Sydney Thunder by nine wickets to take top spot on the Weber WBBL|10 ladder.

The Thunder were bowled out for 133 in 19.1 overs with Renegades spinner Sophie Molineux snaring 4-23 at Melbourne's Junction Oval.

The Renegades then raced to 1-137 from 14.2 overs with opener Hayley Matthews blasting 60no from 37 balls and Molineux capping a stunning all-round performance with an unbeaten 42 from 29 deliveries.

The Renegades moved to 14 points, taking top spot from the Thunder (13 points). The result has guaranteed them at least a top two finish, with the destination for the WBBL Finals now to be decided by the Sixers-Heat clash tomorrow.

Brisbane Heat (12 points) will need a big win over Sydney Sixers on Sunday in the last match of the minor rounds to jump ahead of the Renegades.

Perth Scorchers (nine points) hold fourth spot ahead of their last game on Saturday night against the fifth-placed Hobart Hurricanes which will likely decide fourth place entering the finals - unless the Sixers (sixth, eight points) can upset the Heat.

The Renegades' Matthews (seven fours, two sixes) and Molineux (seven fours, one six) made light work of the run chase with an unbroken 95-run partnership.

Earlier, the Thunder struggled to gain traction with the top-order batters failing to capitalise.

Phoebe Litchfield top-scored with 30, hitting six fours from her 17 deliveries while No.7 Sammy-Jo Johnson made 21 from 19 balls.

Openers Georgia Voll, Chamari Athapaththu and Georgia Adams all made 11, as the Thunder slipped from 3-95 in 12th over and lost their last seven wickets for 38 runs.

The Renegades' Molineux was superb with her four-wicket haul accompanied by a dozen dot balls in her four overs.

Georgia Wareham (2-20) and Deandra Dottin (2-24) also claimed multiple wickets.

Stop it, Soph ??

That's some shot!#SizzlingSixes #WBBL10 pic.twitter.com/LtknSORw4m
— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) November 23, 2024

Match Stats

Sydney Thunder Women Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Chamari Atapattu - 1.4 ov), 2-26 (Georgia Voll - 2.4 ov), 3-63 (Phoebe Litchfield - 7.2 ov), 4-95 (Tahlia Wilson - 11.6 ov), 5-95 (Georgia Adams - 12.1 ov), 6-125 (Sammy Jo Johnson - 16.3 ov), 7-126 (Anika Learoyd - 16.5 ov), 8-127 (Taneale Peschel - 17.3 ov), 9-131 (Hannah Darlington - 18.3 ov), 10-133 (Shabnim Ismail - 19.1 ov)

Melbourne Renegades Women Fall of wickets: 1- 42 (Courtney Webb - 5.4 ov)