Perth Scorchers suffered their first defeat in Weber WBBL|10 this afternoon, after being outclassed by Melbourne Renegades by six wickets at CitiPower Centre.
Renegades too good for Scorchers
Beaten in both of their opening games and wooden-spooners last year, the Renegades bowled superbly to have heavyweights Perth all out for 140.
Sophie Molineux was particularly brilliant with 4-17 from her four overs, bowling Amy Jones and Chloe Piparo in the middle before helping clean up the tail.
All 10 of the Scorchers' wickets fell to spin, with Hayley Matthews, Alice Capsey and Georgia Wareham taking two each as the pressure continually told.
Beth Mooney hit 36 up top for the Scorchers, but after she fell trying to scoop Capsey, it was only Alana King (26 off 15) that truly got going.
The Renegades then made light work of the chase, with Courtney Webb hitting Chloe Ainsworth over the long-on rope in the first over and taking 12 off the next from spinner Lilly Mills.
In her 79th WBBL match, Webb finished with her highest score of 61, dominating a 102-run opening stand with Hayley Matthews that helped the Renegades to victory with 14 balls to spare.
With the Hobart Hurricanes defeating the Brisbane Heat earlier in the day, the results leave Sydney Thunder top of the ladder with two wins and one loss, while two-time defending champions Adelaide are last with a 1-2 record early in the shortened 10-round season.
Here are the central takeaways from today’s match.
1. Mooney sets the tone in the Powerplay
Scorchers star opener Beth Mooney was productive in the early overs, striking five fours and a six to finish as her side’s top scorer with 36 off 25 balls.
2. King continues to shine with bat and ball
Alana King has continued her fine start to Weber WBBL|10, producing a dynamic allround display (26 off 15 and 2/35) as her side’s standout performer on the day.
3. International stars return to bolster top order
The Scorchers welcomed back skipper Sophie Devine for her first appearance in the competition this season, while Indian recruit Hemalatha Dayalan made her Scorchers debut in a boost to their batting firepower.
4. Hoskin and Mills impress again
New recruit Ebony Hoskin (1/25 off three) carried on her impressive to start to her Scorchers career, bowling with excellent pace and control during her three-over spell, while Lilly Mills (1/19 off three) was a constant threat with her right-arm offspin.
5. Scorchers return for home block
Scorchers Members and fans have plenty to look forward to over the next five days, with back-to-back home matches against Brisbane Heat (Tuesday 5 November) and Melbourne Renegades (Thursday 7 November) at the WACA Ground.
A scorecard for today’s match can be viewed here.
The Weber WBBL|10 ladder can be viewed here.
MATCH DETAILS
Weber WBBL|10 – Game 3 (Wild West Match)
Perth Scorchers v Brisbane Heat
Tuesday 5 November. First ball 5:10PM, AWST.
WACA Ground, Perth
LIVE: Kayo, Foxtel, ABC Sport
Weber WBBL|10 – Game 4 (Pride Match)
Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Renegades
Thursday 7 November. First ball 5:35PM, AWST.
WACA Ground, Perth
LIVE: Kayo, Foxtel, Seven, ABC Sport