Melbourne Renegades edge Adelaide Strikers by 2 wickets – WBBL 2024

by CricDirect Staff Sunday 3 November 2024

©WBBL

In the WBBL, Melbourne Renegades Women secured a 2-wicket win over Adelaide Strikers. Sophie Molineux starred with 2 wickets and a 64-run innings, earning Player of the Match.

Match Summary

Melbourne Renegades Women vs Adelaide Strikers Women, Match 13

Melbourne Renegades Women 158/8 (20 ov)

Adelaide Strikers Women 157/5 (20 ov)

Melbourne Renegades Women won by 2 wickets

SCORECARD

Match Analysis

The Melbourne Renegades have won an incredible game of cricket, defeating the Adelaide Strikers by 2 wickets off the final ball of the innings.

The Adelaide Strikers won the bat flip and elected to bat first. Katie Mack started perfectly, hitting a four first ball and taking 11 from the first over.

Mack and Wolvaardt combined with some classy batting peppering the offside boundary, as the Strikers finished 0/29 at the end of the power play.

Some cagey bowling from the Renegades reduced the total to 3/61 from 8, as Mack (23), Wolvaardt (9), and Penna (3) were all dismissed from balls misbehaving off the pitch.

From there it was all about the partnership between skipper Tahlia McGrath and the ever-reliable Orla Prendergast (31).

The 68-run partnership went through all the gears, playing smart and within themselves when needed and exploding at the right time.

McGrath started quickly, bringing up the team’s 50 with three consecutive boundaries, before keeping the score moving with some hard running as the Renegades put the innings on lockdown.

Together with Prendergast, McGrath turned the momentum back into the Strikers’ favour, hitting 28 runs across the 14th and 15th over. As Prendergast was dismissed hitting out to the boundary, McGrath brough up her fifty, finishing on 64* from 44 deliveries.

A handy selfless cameo from Ellie Johnston (15), made sure that we set the Renegades a competitive total of 5/157.

It was the perfect start to Adelaide’s bowling, as Anesu Mushangwe dismissed the West Indies Skipper Hayley Matthews first ball. Megan Schutt contributed an over later, having Capsey caught in the deep, a fantastic running catch by Katie Mack.

The powerplay got even better, as Darcie Brown, in her 50th match for the Adelaide Strikers, had the dangerous Courtney Webb caught in the inner ring.

The Adelaide Strikers bowlers found the right length on this pitch – reducing the scoring rate of the Renegades and forcing dangerous shots. Emma de Broughe and Georgia Wareham both dismissed attempting to increase the run-rate.

However, the script changed when Dottin and Sophie Molineux came together. Molienux, the Renegades captain, smashed a fifty from just 21 deliveries, taking favour with the straight boundary.

Darcie Brown (2/20) finished her spell with a massive breakthrough, bowling Dottin for 20. Before Barsby made up for an earlier drop, bowling Molineux for 64.

Having to defend 17 from the last 3 overs proved too much for the visitors, as the Renegades, led by their captain, chased the total 8 down on the final ball of the innings.

An extraordinary game & the 3rd quickest half-century made in WBBL history. Sophie Molineux, take a bow.#WBBL10 pic.twitter.com/EauuiJMmOL
— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) November 3, 2024

Match Stats

Adelaide Strikers Women Fall of wickets: 1-36 (Katie Mack - 4.6 ov), 2-55 (Laura Wolvaardt - 7.3 ov), 3-61 (Madeline Penna - 8.6 ov), 4-129 (Orla Prendergast - 17.2 ov), 5-157 (Ellie Johnston - 19.6 ov)

Melbourne Renegades Women Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Hayley Matthews - 0.1 ov), 2-17 (Alice Capsey - 1.5 ov), 3-23 (Courtney Webb - 2.5 ov), 4-42 (Emma de Broughe - 6.5 ov), 5-52 (Georgia Wareham - 8.3 ov), 6-131 (Deandra Dottin - 15.2 ov), 7-139 (Sophie Molineux - 16.4 ov), 8-146 (Naomi Stalenberg - 18.1 ov)