Women's Big Bash League 2019: Match 30, Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder - Review

Meg Lanning‘s Perth Scorchers pulled off an emphatic win against the Sydney Thunder in a low-scoring thriller at the WACA. Although some showers were expected, the game saw no interruptions and went on pretty smoothly. Nida Dar’s powerful performance nearly took the game away from Scorchers but she fell short of partners.

Earlier on the day, Thunder won the toss and elected to bowl first. Proteas fast bowler Shabnim Ismail picked up the first wicket in the very first over, putting the hosts in deep trouble. Skipper Lanning and Amy Allen Jones stitched a recuperation partnership to ensure the side saw through the tough overs. Despite all the dot balls she played, Lanning found the odd boundary and kept the scoreboard ticking.

Right after the powerplay, Jones was dismissed by Farrell and almost immediately, Lanning’s wicket kept the Scorchers on the back foot. Nicole Bolton was the other senior presence in the middle order who couldn’t resist the top-notch bowling and was dismissed for just 4 runs.

Heather Graham and Natalie Sciver took the onus on themselves to take the Scorchers to a respectable total, by not trying anything outrageous but at the same time, they ensured the team got close to the 120-mark. They finished with 116 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in their 20 overs. Rene Farrell returned with an outstanding spell of 2/24.

Top-order failure dooms Thunder in the run chase

Natalie Sciver struck a huge blow by tearing apart Rachel Priest’s stumps in the very first over. Skipper Rachel Haynes was next to depart in the following over and Thunder’s woes got intensified. Alex Blackwell and Tahlia McGrath were dismissed inside the powerplay as well, which left them four down inside 6 overs.

Naomi Stalenberg, who kept battling through in the powerplay overs, fell in the 8th over and Nida Dar was left stranded alone. Although she did a fine job to keep tugging through, the likes of Hannah Darlington and Lisa Griffith got starts but failed to capitalize. Things got pretty intense towards the end with Kim Garth picking wickets in a flurry.

Nida Dar was on strike with 15 runs to get from the final over and just one wicket remaining. She got four runs off the first three deliveries but was dismissed in an attempt to go big. Natalie Sciver picked up the decisive wicket and was named player of the match for her all-round contribution.

Brief Scores

Perth Scorchers: 116/6 in 20 overs (Natalie Sciver 27, Heather Graham 27; Rene Farrell 2/24)

Sydney Thunder: 105 all out in 19.4 overs (Nida Dar 45; Kim Garth 3/21, Natalie Sciver 2/18)

Result: Perth Scorchers won by 11 runs