Sophie Molineux’s blistering half-century and Nicole Faltum’s cool head have lifted the Melbourne Renegades to a thrilling two-wicket WBBL win over Adelaide.
Tahlia McGrath (64 not out off 44 balls) guided the Strikers to 5-157 batting first in the second game of a double-header at Junction Oval on Sunday.
And the reigning champions looked likely winners when they reduced the hosts to 3-29 in their run chase at the end of the power play.
But Renegades captain Molineux launched a stunning response, blasting the equal third-fastest 50 in WBBL history from just 21 balls on her way to 64 off 32 deliveries.
Molineux’s entertaining knock included nine fours and three sixes before she was bowled by Jemma Barsby.
It was the equal fourth-biggest individual innings by any batter so far this season, level with opposing skipper McGrath.
There was still work for the Renegades to do and the contest went down to the wire, with Faltum (11 not out) hitting the winning runs off the final ball of the innings.
Faltum and Sarah Coyte (four not out) guided the Renegades to 8-158, taking the required six runs off the final over by Aneshu Mushangwe (1-37 from three overs).
“It was a game that just kept going up and down, and Tahlia (McGrath) batted really well,” Molineux told Fox Sports after the match.
“She made it look easy towards the back end there, so we were pretty confident coming off the ground it would be hard work at the start, but if you got through that we could catch up.
“It was just one of those days and when you’ve got a batting order like ours I knew that you have people coming in after you that can get the job done, which is great.”
Georgia Wareham was the Renegades’ best bowler, taking 1-13 from four overs, with Molineux (2-39 from four overs) claiming multiple wickets.
The Renegades lost their opening two matches but have now levelled their season at 2-2, while the Strikers are struggling at 1-3 in their bid for a hat-trick of titles.
Stars make short work of Hurricanes target
Yastika Bhatia (R) and Meg Lanning (L) contributed 84 of Melbourne Stars’ total of 3-136 as the team easily chased down victory against Hobart Hurricanes.
In the first match of Sunday’s double-header, Indian opener Yastika Bhatia powered the Melbourne Stars to a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Hobart.
Nicola Carey (44 off 43) and Chloe Tryon (35 off 33) steered the Hurricanes to 7-133 batting first.
But the Stars were always on top in their run-chase, reaching their target comfortably with 13 balls to spare.
Bhatia top-scored with 57 from 46 balls in a tally of 3-136 for the hosts, the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter striking seven fours and one six in a superb knock.
Meg Lanning (27 off 21) and captain Annabel Sutherland (26 not out off 20) also played important roles with the bat.
“Meg really helped me when I was in the middle in the (power) surge,” Bhatia told Fox Sports.
“She told me exactly what the bowlers were going to bowl, so it helped me out in the middle.
“Also, my family is here, so it’s a special moment for me.”
Heather Graham (2-30 off four overs) removed both Stars openers, and Carey (1-29, four overs) claimed the key wicket of Lanning.
Stars bowlers Marizanne Kapp (2-28, four overs) and Kim Garth (2-21, three overs) helped put the clamps on Hobart.
Indian off-spinner Deepti Sharma took 1-27 from four overs in her first Stars appearance.
The Stars improved their season record to 2-1 with Sunday’s win, while Hobart are back to 2-2.
AAP
