Danni Wyatt-Hodge hit her highest WBBL score as Nicola Carey posted an unbeaten 58 in the six-wicket win
Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Nicola Carey etched themselves into the Hurricanes record books as Hobart kicked off their Weber WBBL|11 campaign with a clinical run chase to down Sydney Thunder in Brisbane.
English recruit Wyatt-Hodge (90 off 52 balls) registered her highest Big Bash score as she shared a WBBL club record partnership with Carey (58 not out off 43).
The pair’s 143-run third wicket stand surpassed Carey and Lizelle Lee’s mark of 133 from last season as the Hurricanes comfortably overhauled the Thunder’s 8-181 with three balls to spare at Allan Border Field.
Late wickets to Samantha Bates (2-39) and South African speedster Shabnim Ismail (2-22), who conceded just one run in the penultimate over, pushed the game into the final over, but Hurricanes skipper Elyse Villani sealed the six-wicket win with a single to midwicket.
It was the Hurricanes’ highest successful run chase in WBBL history and fourth highest overall.
Tahlia Wilson (22), Heather Knight (39) and Chamari Athapaththu (32) all got going for the Thunder after they were asked to bat first, but their failure to kick on to a big score prevented them for setting Hobart an even taller task.
Pacer Hayley Silver-Holmes (2-27) pegged the Thunder back with the key wickets of Knight and Laura Harris (20 off 7), the latter in her debut for the Sydney club after crossing from Brisbane Heat during last season’s trade period.
Australian World Cup squad member Heather Graham also bowled well for her 2-33 from four overs, while Lauren Smith proved tough to get away, conceding just six runs in two overs while claiming the wicket of Aussie star Georgia Voll.
Ismail and Bates initially had the Hurricanes on the back foot at 2-27 with experienced internationals Lizelle Lee and Nat Sciver-Brunt back in the sheds cheaply before Wyatt-Hodge and Carey seized the momentum.
Wyatt-Hodge cracked nine fours and three sixes, with Carey exceptional at maneuvering the ball between gaps in the field with her reverse and conventional sweeps.
Such was the speed at which the duo scored during their 81-ball partnership that they’d reduced the required run rate to less than a run-a-ball with four overs to go, allowing the ‘Canes to cruise home despite the loss of two wickets in the closing stages.
Weber WBBL|11 Standings
Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Ties
T
No results
N/R
Net Run Rate
NRR
Deductions
Ded.
Total points
PTS
1
SIX
1
1
0
0
0
3.277
0
2
2
REN
1
1
0
0
0
0.675
0
2
3
HUR
1
1
0
0
0
0.283
0
2
4
STR
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
STA
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
THU
1
0
1
0
0
-0.283
0
0
7
HEA
1
0
1
0
0
-0.675
0
0
8
SCO
1
0
1
0
0
-3.277
0
0
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
