Hobart canes ‘ Gades
THE Hobart Hurricanes dominated the Melbourne Renegades to notch up their first win of the Women’s Big Bash League season, winning by nine wickets on a slow Blacktown International Sportspark pitch.
Both sides went into the match winless ( two losses and two rain abandoned games), but Hobart was victorious after bowling the Renegades out for 81 with the penultimate ball of the innings, and then reaching the target with seven overs in hand.
The Renegades lost opener Sophie Molineux in the first over when caught comfortably at point off the bowling of Belinda Vakarewa, and from there their effort with the bat could be described only as uninspired, their all- out- for- 81 providing few highlights as only three shots made it to the ropes.
The total was always going to be difficult to defend and wasn’t helped by a few midfields that allowed ’ Canes shots through to the boundary.
But that shouldn’t take away from Hobart’s all- round team performance that included opener Naomi Stalenberg bringing up her 1000th WBBL career run with a four.
She’s only 15, but Hurricanes legspinner Amy Smith showed composure beyond her years when she brought in for the ninth over.
The Renegades were sitting on 1- 30, with power- hitter Lizelle Lee on 19 and looking to create some momentum. But Smith trapped Lee leg before with her first ball.
It was not only Smith’s first WBBL wicket, but a key dismissal that triggered a flurry of wickets.
Kiwi international Rachel Priest made the move from Melbourne Stars to the Hurricanes in the off- season and was in need of finding some batting form after scores of 0, 16, 0 this season. Priest made her intent known early, whacking back- to- back boundaries in the first over and finishing with 34 ( 32 balls), bowled by Satterthwaite in the 10th over.
Two Hurricane bowlers found themselves on hattricks: Hayley Matthews ( 2/ 9) in the 11th after she had Courtney Webb caught on 4 ( 5 balls), followed by the key wicket of ’ Gades captain Amy Satterthwaite ( 20 from 28) after knocking over her stumps.
Then Sasha Moloney ( 2/ 12) got into the action in the 18th when she had Carly Leeson caught at deep mid- wicket and then clean bowled Maitlan Brown.