The first match of the Women’s Big Bash League finals series, the Knockout, was played last night between the Sydney Thunder and Hobart Hurricanes. The Thunder won the match by six wickets with six balls remaining, led by a patient batting display from captain Phoebe Litchfield.
Thunder v Hurricanes
The Hurricanes took to the crease first and set a total of 127 runs for the Thunder to chase. Elyse Villani was the standout batter for the Hurricanes scoring 49 runs.
The Thunder didn’t get off to an ideal start to their run chase, with opener Georgia Voll losing her wicket for a duck. Fellow opener Chamari Athapaththu added momentum with 31 runs, before Litchfield was the game-changer. The captain scored 46 runs, surviving a couple of scares and losing her wicket with only two runs to chase.
The result means the Hurricanes have not won a finals match in four attempts. The Thunder are two-time WBBL Champions seeking a third.
What they said:
Litchfield said: “Take the leadership off me and I’m still a leader with the bat in this line-up, and having my international experience now makes me a player who has to finish off games like that and I really pride myself on that. But it was extra special to be able to be a skipper and win the game.”
What’s next?
The Thunder will head to Brisbane for the Challenger match against the Heat on Friday night. The winner of the Challenger will face the top-ranked Melbourne Renegades in the WBBL final on Sunday.
The Thunder will head to Brisbane with plenty of confidence that they can make the Grand Final, knowing that when they played the Heat during the regular season, the result fell their way.
How to watch
You can watch the WBBL Finals on Channel 7, Foxtel, or Kayo.
