MLRW vs SYTW 19th Match, WBBL 2023

12:32 PM IST, 6:02 PM Local Time - So that’s that and it's the Sydney Thunder that have secured a comprehensive win by 37 runs over Melbourne Renegades.

Batting first, the Sydney Thunder posted a mammoth first innings total of 190/5 from 20 overs. 

The opening duo of Tahlia Wilson 30 (23) and Chamari Athapaththu 32 (26) started off in terrific manner as they accumulated a 67 run stand for the first wicket from just 7.3 overs. The Renegades bowlers were put under the pump and the platform provided by Wilson and Athapaththu only added further confidence to the rest of the batters for Thunder. 

Phoebe Litchfield 27 (19) was looking at her usual best today with a few cracking boundaries of her own but wasn’t able to convert her start into a big score this time around. 

However, it was the skipper Heather Knight 52 (31)* who was the star of the show courtesy her unbeaten half-century. Knight struck seven fours and a six and also managed to compile a 48 run partnership with Anika Learoyd 15 (11). 

For the Melbourne Renegades, it was Harmanpreet Kaur who impressed with her off-spin as she bagged two big wickets of Athapaththu and Litchfield in the middle of the innings.

As for the run-chase, it was Marizanne Kapp who made things extremely difficult at the beginning with her swing and movement off the deck. She piled the pressure with dot balls and eventually got the big wicket of Hayley Matthews 8 (12) as she got caught at mid-off. 

Hannah Darlington struck on her very first ball as she got Courtney Webb 13 (11) out-bowled. Harmanpreet Kaur’s 13 (17) struggle with the bat continued as she turned out to be Marizanne Kapp’s second wicket of the day.

Tammy Beaumont 37 (29) was looking good out there in the middle and wanted to take her innings forward but that's when Darlington struck and followed it up with another wicket of the next delivery as she cleaned Georgia Prestwidge up for a golden duck. 

Georgia Wareham 25 (11) did manage to show a bit of fight and character as she breezed through a quickfire knock. However, Darlington got the better of her as well as she bagged her fourth for the day. 

Josephine Dooley 19 (19)* remained unbeaten, whereas, Sarah Coyte 30 (20) played an entertaining knock towards the fag end of the game before getting run out in the final over. 

Funnily enough, there were only two wicket takers for the Thunder today. Marizanne Kapp did well with her spell of 2/23 from four overs. But it was Hannah Darlington who proved to be the wrecker in chief with her spell of 4/33 from four overs.

All in all it turned out to be yet another comfortable win for Sydney Thunder against the Melbourne Renegades. They will take plenty of confidence rolling ahead in the campaign, whereas, the Renegades will have to regroup and bounce back stronger.