Hurricanes’ English recruit reflects on career-best WBBL knock on a night she didn’t know how many runs she was on
Danni Wyatt-Hodge had just made Hobart Hurricanes’ highest ever WBBL run chase look like a cakewalk, not that she was any the wiser.
Having revealed post-match she couldn’t decipher the scoreboard at Allan Border Field in their season opening win over Sydney Thunder, the English batting star would have also been unaware that she’d just notched her best Big Bash score from 76 matches.
The 34-year-old opener was the star of Hobart’s clinical six-wicket victory to kick off their Weber WBBL|11 campaign, blasting nine fours and three sixes in a 52-ball 90.
Wyatt-Hodge also shared a WBBL club record 143-run partnership with Nicola Carey, with the pair surpassing the latter and Lizelle Lee’s mark of 133 from last season.
Despite stretching the game into the final over with the loss of two late wickets, including Wyatt-Hodge as she holed out off spinner Samantha Bates, the Hurricanes eased to 4-182 with three balls to spare to complete their highest successful WBBL run chase.
But Wyatt-Hodge said she wasn’t focused on the target at all but rather backed her natural game to find the runs required.
“I couldn’t even see the score at any point on the screen,” she said post-match.
“I tried to just bat basically, and if it was there just try to hit my strengths … and keep being brave.
“I thought our bowlers bowled really well in tough conditions … it was pretty much raining throughout the whole innings. For them to restrict them to 181, it was probably par on that pitch.
“(We’re) delighted to get that first win on the board against a strong Sydney Thunder team.”
After a challenging first season with Hobart in WBBL|10 last summer where she averaged the fewest with the bat (17.85) of her six campaigns, it was the perfect start on Sunday for Wyatt-Hodge and the Hurricanes, who were tipped by many pre-tournament as a team on the rise.
“It’s always a nice wicket here at AB Field, it was skidding on (to the bat) really nicely,” Wyatt-Hodge said.
“It was really good fun batting out there with ‘Nic’ (Carey) who was hitting the ball very sweetly from ball one.”
The Hurricanes head to Sydney next where they’ll face the Sixers at North Sydney Oval on Thursday, who likewise recorded a comfortable opening day victory with Ashleigh Gardner’s side crushing Perth Scorchers by 10 wickets.
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
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
5
STA
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
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
