Teenage sensation Chloe Ainsworth has continued her scintillating begin to the WBBL, bowling Perth to a 74-run win over the ladder-leading Sydney Thunder.
Ainsworth, 19, claimed figures of 2-15 at Drummoyne Oval on Tuesday night time, because the Thunder had been all out for 97 within the twentieth over in pursuit of the Scorchers’ 7-171.
The seamer set the win up for the Scorchers, taking 2-4 from her opening two overs.
It’s the third WBBL match in a row through which Ainsworth has taken two wickets and brings her to 9 for the season up to now.
The consequence ended the Thunder’s four-match profitable streak and helped heavyweights Perth climb from fifth to second on the WBBL ladder.
It got here amid some drama, with one in all Drummoyne Oval’s gentle towers going out early within the Thunder’s chase.
Umpires stopped play to ask if each groups had been blissful to proceed, earlier than Thunder captain Phoebe Litchfield opted to remain on with the bat.
“I do not suppose I wish to be batting on the market with Ainsworth on the market firing, however that is the umpire’s name,” Thunder coach Lisa Keightley stated on Fox Cricket afterwards.
“And so they gave it to the gamers, so that’s fascinating.”
Already behind within the chase after Ainsworth’s wickets, Litchfield and Heather Knight supplied the Thunder a quick hope with a 32-run third-wicket stand.
However when Litchfield was caught off Amy Edgar (3-19) the innings unravelled.
Earlier, New Zealander Sophie Devine helped arrange the victory with 48 from 34 balls, turning round her run of two straight geese earlier than Tuesday night time.
The 35-year-old pulled Sammy-Jo Johnson for one six, reduce her for 4 the subsequent ball and supplied a deft late-cut to ship Shabnim Ismail to the deep-third boundary.
Devine was bowled by Ismail later in the identical over, however with the help of Mikayla Hinkley (19 off 9) the Scorchers’ win had been arrange.
Devine has been one of many world’s greatest batters for greater than a decade, however Ainsworth confirmed on Tuesday night time why she might quickly enter Australian calculations.
The 19-year-old had final 12 months’s WBBL MVP Chamari Athapaththu caught within the first over, earlier than eradicating her opening companion Georgia Voll in her subsequent over.
She additionally ought to have had Hannah Darlington caught within the deep late, just for the possibility to be dropped by Lilly Mills.
Ainsworth’s wickets noticed her add the duo to a high-profile record of victims this season, together with Meg Lanning, Annabel Sutherland, Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Alice Capsey.
The best-armer has now taken 9 wickets at 12.88 this season, after taking 15 at 19.66 in her rookie marketing campaign final 12 months.
AAP
