Scorchers fall short against Strikers

The Strikers posted 6-169, with Laura Wolvaardt (48 from 28 balls), Smitri Mandhana (41 from 29) and Katie Mack (41 from 34) the chief contributors at Adelaide's Karen Rolton Oval.

The Scorchers managed 8-139 after slumping to 4-17 amid a Megan Schutt (3-19) masterclass, leaving their finals chances hanging precariously.

With two games left, the Scorchers remain in fifth spot with eight points and they trail fourth-placed Hobart Hurricanes (eight points) by a sizeable run rate difference.

Adelaide, champions of the past two tournaments, climbed from bottom of the ladder to seventh - they have six points but just one match remaining.

Perth sent Adelaide in to bat and Strikers openers Mandhana and Mack made an instant impact, whacking 40 from the initial four overs.

They reached 81 in the 10th over when Mandhana was caught at mid off from the bowling of Sophie Devine (2-28), ending a knock featuring five fours and a six.

Just eight balls later, Mack advanced down the pitch but was beaten by a perfectly flighted delivery from legspinner Alana King and was stumped.

Wolvaardt soon took centre stage with her rapid-fire innings featuring three fours and three sixes - two from consecutive balls from Chloe Ainsworth (1-40).

The South African was caught on the cover boundary with three balls remaining and tweaker King finished with another stumping on the last ball, giving her figures of 3-29.

The Scorchers' run chase began terribly with Maddy Darke bowled by Schutt second ball.

And in the third over, Schutt struck with consecutive deliveries, dismissing Dayalan Hemalatha (10) and bowling Amy Edgar for a golden duck with a top-shelf inswinger, to boast figures of 3-6.

Schutt was denied a hat-trick by Perth stalwart Beth Mooney, who fell in the next over for six as the Scorchers crashed to 4-17 from 3.3 overs.

Skipper Devine (35 from 31 balls) and Brooke Halliday (47 from 44) rallied but the task was beyond them.

Here are the key takeaways from tonight’s match.

Halliday makes Scorchers debut and immediately impresses 
Her first appearance in orange, and New Zealander Brooke Halliday couldn’t have made a better first impression. Coming in at 4-17 the left-hander looked calm and composed during her stay at the crease to finish as her side’s top-scorer, striking 47 off 44 balls including six boundaries.

Runs and Wickets, King does it all 
Alana King is putting together quite the season for the Scorchers. Her 3-29 off four overs saw her go equal-first in the BKT Golden Arm with 17 wickets, while her 29 runs off 19 balls with three fours and a six showed that she is an equally capable threat with the bat.

Devine leads by example 
Skipper Sophie Devine is regarded as the best captain in the WBBL, and tonight she once again showed why. The New Zealand superstar did all she could to drag her team over the line, taking 2-28 off her four overs before compiling 35 off 31 balls to get her side out of early trouble.

Fixtures to come are crucial in Finals race
Every match in WBBL|10 becomes more important than the last, especially with finals quickly approaching. Following tonight’s defeat, the Scorchers sit fifth with four wins from eight matches ahead of must-win contests against Sydney Sixers (Thursday 21 November, Ninja Stadium) and Hobart Hurricanes (Saturday 23 November, WACA Ground) later this week.

A scorecard from tonight’s match can be accessed here

The Weber WBBL|10 ladder can be accessed here

MATCH DETAILS

Weber WBBL|10 – Game 9
Sydney Sixers v Perth Scorchers 
Thursday 21 November. First ball 12:45PM, AWST.
Ninja Stadium, Hobart
LIVE: Kayo, Foxtel, Seven, ABC Sport

Weber WBBL|10 – Game 10
Perth Scorchers v Hobart Hurricanes
Saturday 23 November. First ball 5:55PM, AWST.
WACA Ground, Perth
LIVE: Kayo, Foxtel, ABC Sport