Sydney Thunder continued their impressive start in the 2024-25 season of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). They beat Brisbane Heat by 19 runs to register their third win of the season. It was the batters who set up the game before the spin duo of Samantha Bates and Chamari Athapaththu bowled them to victory.
After being put into bat, Sydney Thunder started well. Athapaththu combined with Georgia Voll to accumulate 52 runs for the opening stand. The Sri Lanka skipper made 32 off 25 balls, hitting seven boundaries while Voll got a run-a-ball 22. Both batters were dismissed in the space of two overs and it was Heat skipper Jess Jonassen who struck on both occasions.
Post that, Thunder captain Phoebe Litchfield and Heather Knight batted beautifully. The pair shared a quickfire 57-run stand. In fact, they added 50 runs between overs 10-15 with at least one boundary coming off every over. It was Shikha Pandey who broke the threatening stand as Litchfield departed for 40.
Knight then struck four fours in the 18th over and brought up her half-century. A few wickets fell at the other end but the England captain kept going. She finished unbeaten on 59 as Thunder reached 170/5 in 20 overs.
Only two Brisbane Heat batters get into double figures
In reply, Brisbane Heat started well. Grace Harris and Georgia Redmayne helped them race to 26 off three overs before they lost two wickets in successive overs. Hannah Darlington had Redmayne caught behind while Jemimah Rodrigues was outdone by Taneale Peschel.
Harris continued to attack while Charli Knott who walked out at No. 4 was slow off the blocks. The latter was 3 off 11 balls at one stage. However, she recovered decently to get a few boundaries but Harris fell against the run of play. At 72/3 in 10 overs and 99 still to get, Heat were under pressure.
Samantha Bates and Athapaththu combined to pick three wickets in two overs to leave the Heat reeling at 100/6. Knott upped the ante and struck a few crucial boundaries and notched up her fifty. Just when she seemed to be fighting a lone battle, Bates knocked her over to kill the game.
Brisbane Heat were eventually bowled out for 151. Bates finished with a four-fer while Athapaththu and Peschel took two each. There were just two batters who got into double figures for the Brisbane Heat.
After losing their first game, Sydney Thunder have now won three in a row to strengthen their position at the top of the points table. This was Brisbane Heat’s third straight defeat after they won their first two games.
BRIEF SCORES: Sydney Thunder 170/5 (Heather Knight 59*, Phoebe Litchfield 40, Chamari Athapaththu 33, Jess Jonassen 3/22, Shikha Pandey 1/21) beat Brisbane Heat 151 all out (Charli Knott 55, Grace Harris 41, Samantha Bates 4/25, Taneale Peschel 2/23, Chamari Athapaththu 2/32) by 19 runs.
