Heather Knight spins the web for Brisbane Heat; Stafanie Taylor shines for Adelaide Strikers in abandoned tie

Just before start former Australian cricketer, Lisa Sthalekar had tweeted, “Let’s hope that we get some cricket today!! Some interesting stats to wet the appetite before it kicks off.” But who can stop rain Gods? That’s beyond anyone’s power.



Like has been in the previous game days in the ongoing season of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), Sunday (November 1) was no different as both the Perth Scorchers vs Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat games were halted by rain.



Perth Scorchers vs Adelaide Strikers



The Drummoyne Oval in Sydney had to wait for a long time before any play was possible with the officials reducing the match to 10-overs per side. Batting first, Strikers were hit early on with a double blow as the Taneale Peschel (2/5) dismissed openers Tahlia McGrath and Laura Wolvaardt in the same over leaving the Megan Schutt-led side at 18 for 2 in the fifth over itself.



ALSO READ: Scorchers romp to an easy win after Nicole Bolton’s heroics with the ball, Hurricanes- Heat match abandoned



Bridget E Patterson too followed suit holing out to Megan Banting for five off Sarah Glenn. However, it was Stafanie Taylor, whose 16-ball 30 came to the rescue that propelled the Strikers to a defendable total. The West Indies skipper was particularly harsh on Glenn hitting the England spinner for three consecutive boundaries in the eighth over before hitting a six and four Nicole Bolton in the next.



Madeline Penna also took 10 runs in the last two balls of the innings off Sophie Devine to take them to 70 for 4 in 10 overs. In reply, the Scorchers had a delayed start as the skies opened up once again to set a revised target of 52 runs in seven overs. While Devine was out for a duck, Beth Mooney and Bolton took on the mantle reaching 25 for 1 before the covers came in once again to halt play.



Finally, the match officials abandoned the match as no game was further possible.



Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat



On the other hand, the Sydney Thunder versus Brisbane Heat was also halted with the former ar 80 for 3 in 12.1 overs when the rain came in. Sent into bat first, the Thunder openers Tammy Beaumont and Rachel Trenaman were all guns as the duo raced to 71 for 1 in 9 overs.



ALSO READ: Heather Knight admits to change in mindset behind her stellar form in T20s



However, Jess Jonassen picked up Trenaman prompting the right-hander to hole out to Nadine de Klerk for 34-ball 38. Beaumont (30) too followed her partner in the next over. Heather Knight, who scored a brilliant 39-ball 83 the previous day, was the next one to go for just two before the rains Gods opened up for more than an hour leaving the officials with a revised target of 45 runs in five overs for Brisbane Heat.



In reply, Heat were in dire straits when they lost Grace Harris and Laura Kimmince within a space of two balls off Samantha Bates. Things turned worse for Heat as they lost Amelia Kerr in the third over before Knight picked up a triple bonanza dismissing Maddy Green, Jonassen and Georgia Redmayne in the fourth over to kill the opposition there itself. Heat finally finished at 30 for 7.



With this win, Thunder nitch up their second win for the weekend having beaten Adelaide Strikers on Saturday (October 31). This was also Knight's career-best WBBL figures finishing with 1-0-4-3.



Brief scores:



Adelaide Strikers 70/4 in 10 overs (Stafanie Taylor 30; Taneale Peschel 2/5) vs Perth Scorchers 25/2 in 2.5 overs (Beth Mooney 12*; Darcie Brown 1/9). Match abandoned.



Sydney Thunder 80/3 in 12.1 overs ( Rachel Trenaman 38, Tammy Beaumont 30; Nicola Hancock 1/9) beat Brisbane Heat 30/7 in five overs (Jess Jonassen 14; Heather Knight 3/4) by 14 runs via D/L method.