A magical catch from Hobart Hurricanes spinner Molly Strano was not sufficient as spectacular innings from imports Heather Knight and Chamari Athapaththu plus some savvy bowling from Hannah Darlington helped Sydney Thunder avenge an early season WBBL on Thursday.
Hurricanes spinner Strano’s seize was the spotlight although, and an early contender for catch of the season.
The 32-year-old offy dived down her proper to snare a spectacular seize off her personal bowling to dismiss Athapaththu.
“I did not have a lot time to consider it,” Strano instructed Seven and Fox.
“It was a tracer bullet, so fairly joyful it simply caught.”
It was not sufficient to spark a revival although, with the Thunder recording a 33-run victory in a match lowered to 17 overs a facet after rain delayed the beginning at North Sydney Oval by half-hour on Thursday, simply three days after the Hurricanes gained by 31 runs in Hobart,
Athapaththu (38 off 29) and Knight (48 off 28) helped the Thunder amass 5-146.
Hobart smashed 18 off their first seven balls, however misplaced 5-13 In the previous few overs to complete at 8-113.
Darlington (3-16 off 4) claimed the large wickets of Lizelle Lee (18 off 22) and Heather Graham (30 off 21) and Athapaththu accomplished a superb all-round effort by taking 1-11 of three overs of tidy spin, dismissing England star Danni Wyatt-Hodge.
England captain Knight, who missed the primary recreation between the 2 groups, performed some good-looking photographs and added momentum within the second half of the innings.
She struck 14 off the final three balls of the one Energy Surge over bowled by Molly Strano, lofting the primary over lengthy off and including two fours in the identical space.
“It was very nice once you begin a contest to hit the bottom operating and I believed ‘Atta’ was sensible as effectively,” Knight instructed Seven and Fox.
“We managed to get in a little bit of a partnership there and it arrange issues on the finish.”
Athapaththu, who was out for a first-ball duck on Sunday, was dropped at deep midwicket on 5.
Her innings included sixes over deep midwicket and lengthy off earlier than she fell to that exceptional return catch by Strano.
In reply, Lee clubbed boundaries off the primary two balls of the Hurricanes’ chase and three within the over and Wyatt-Hodge belted a six over backward level off the primary ball of the second over.
The Thunder struck again with Athapaththu having Wyatt-Hodge caught at backward level.
Nicola Carey, who scored a 50 in final weekend’s recreation, then chopped a supply from Shabnim Ismail onto her stumps, a ball after the South African speedster struck her on the helmet.
Lee (18 off 22) could not keep her early impetus and was adjudged LBW the primary ball after the mid-innings break, although if she had used DRS, she would have been reprieved.
A brisk fourth-wicket stand of 43 between Graham and Elyse Villani (25 off 25) gave the Hurricanes hope earlier than they have been dismissed in successive overs to set off a decisive collapse.
AAP
