This morning UK time the WBBL saw Perth Scorchers taking on Adelaide Strikers at the WACA in Perth. Scorchers had won all five of their matches, a distinction they shared with Sydney Sixers, while Adelaide Strikers had played four matches and had won two and lost two. This post looks at a match that was settled by two extraordinary performances.
THE STRIKERS INNINGS
The Strikers were powered past 200 largely by Laura Wolvaardt. The South African star, possessor of possibly the finest cover drive in contemporary cricket regardless of sex, scored 83 not out from 45 balls. Emma de Broughe, a 26 year old local player who had not played at this level before this season, scored a 50, but was reprieved a number of times along the way. Madeline Penna gave the scoring a late boost with 44 off just 19 balls. In among the carnage young fast bowler Chloe Ainsworth somehow took 1-23 from her four overs, conceding at about half the rate that her team mates did.
THE SCORCHERS RESPONSE
The spotlight passed from one southern African cricketer to another. Anesu Mushangwe, a 30 year old leg spinner from Zimbabwe, dominated this innings, starting in the fourth over in the course of which she claimed the two biggest threats in the Scorchers line up, Beth Mooney caught by Bouchier for 7 and Sophie Devine caught by Wolvaardt for a duck. That was 24-2. The first ball of the sixth over beat and bowled Katie Mack for 14 to make it 33-3. Freya Kemp and Mikayla Friday now made a bit of a stand, ended when Kemp was caught by keeper Ellie Johnston off Tahlia McGrath for 28. Chloe Piparo provided Friday with further support, contributing 10 to a fifth stand of 37. Veteran seamer Megan Schutt accounted for Friday for 41 with the aid of a catch by Penna. Alana King became Mushangwe’s fourth victim of the innings, clean bowled for 7 to make it 127-7. Fatima Sana now joined Chloe Ainsworth, and they added 14 together before Sana was caught and bowled by Amanda-Jade Wellington. Four balls later Ainsworth was headed the same way, caught by Ella Wilson off Mushangwe to give the Zimbabwean her fifth wicket. A sixth scalp would have put her all time top of the Strikers innings figures, but she was denied that. She ended with 5-11, the fourth best ever for the Strikers behind Schutt’s 6-19 and two hauls of 5-8 taken by Wellington. Lilly Mills and Amy Edgar (who at one time batted eight places higher than her current number 11 slot) played out time with the score 151-9. Strikers won by 51 runs, and Mushangwe was named Player of the Match, for me the right decision since in this format five-fors are somewhat rarer than individual 80s (though neither can be called commonplace). Scorecard here.
THE TABLE
Today’s result has dropped Scorchers below Sydney Sixers and the latter have a game in hand as well (though both are virtually certain to qualify). Brisbane Heat with four wins and two losses sit third, and Strikers, now with an overall winning record sit fourth, and in the last qualifying slot. Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades still have some hope of qualifying, though I reckon you would generous odds from a bookie, while Melbourne Stars with one win and five losses and Hobart Hurricanes with six straight losses are definitely not qualifying for the knockouts.
PHOTOGRAPHS
My usual sign off…
