Brisbane heat 134 for 1 (Redmayne 53*, Rodrigues 43 rh, Bates 1-25) won Sydney Thunder 133 for 7 (Darlington 40*, Peschel 24*, Parsons 3-10) by nine wickets
Redmayne and Rodrigues bury Thunder
Having let their dominance slip at the end of the Thunder’s innings, the Heat were dealt an early blow after opener Grace Harris was stumped in the second over having attacked left-arm spinner Samantha Bates.
Rodrigues made the most of a charmed life after falling for 0, 25 and 30. His inventiveness came to the fore and he combined well in a 75-run second-wicket partnership with Redmayne, who was imperious in defence.
But Rodrigues was increasingly uncomfortable, before closing her innings. His fitness will be a major talking point ahead of the WBBL final and also for India’s upcoming ODI series against Australia.
Thunder rue missed opportunities
Having ended their innings with momentum, the Thunder’s hopes took a nosedive with dropped catches. Rodrigues was first brought down at 0 by Anilka Learoyd on a back-point against Shabnim Ismail, who later squandered a chance herself mid-game.
Rodrigues’ luck continued when goalkeeper Tahlia Wilson’s outstretched glove failed to capitalize on a difficult opportunity. With that, the Thunder’s hopes sank as their season came to a bitter end.
Jonassen in the center of the action
It had rained before the game and Heat captain Jess Jonassen decided to bowl under cloudy skies. It turned out to be the right move, and Charli Knott offered a twist right off the bat. The extra bounce also worried the Thunder’s hitters.
Knott roped in opener Chamari Athapathth as pressure intensified on the in-form Georgia Voll, who has been called up to Australia’s ODI squad for the first time. She was ready to continue her great season and had extra motivation against the Heat, her former team.
Voll looked dangerous and scored 20 of the total 25 runs in the powerplay. But on the first ball of the fifth over, he took advantage of a wide delivery from seamer Nicola Hancock.
Jonassen had held off the attack until the eighth over, and timed his innings perfectly with a first-ball wicket to bowl Athapaththu. Jonassen remained at the center of the action as she made a magnificent catch with outstretched arms midway through the game to dismiss rival Phoebe Litchfield, who, after the drinks break, attempted to step on the accelerator.
Jonassen, however, fought to death in the middle of an attack, as his figures suffered a blow. But she has led from the front during the Heat’s late-season purple spell in a welcome tonic for her after the disappointment of not making Australia’s squad for the recent T20 World Cup.
Darlington and Peschel combine to break record
The Thunder’s hitting throughout the season has relied on Voll and Litchfield firing in the top order. But they failed to make significant contributions in the Challenger against the Heat, and the Thunder’s middle order completely fell apart as a succession of hitters failed to execute aggressive hits.
They looked destined to be humiliated by a total of less than 100, but Thunder took over in the 16th over and Peschel did indeed swing the bat. They were soon overtaken by Darlington, who attacked the region in devastating fashion, as they combined to take Thunder to an improbable total. But in the end it turned out that it was not enough.
Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth.
